The Tea Dragon Festival (Tea Dragon #2) by Katie O'Neill

The Tea Dragon Festival (Tea Dragon #2) - 3.25 Stars

Synopsis

Rinn has grown up with the Tea Dragons that inhabit their village, but stumbling across a real dragon turns out to be a different matter entirely! Aedhan is a young dragon who was appointed to protect the village but fell asleep in the forest eighty years ago. With the aid of Rinn’s adventuring uncle Erik and his partner Hesekiel, they investigate the mystery of his enchanted sleep, but Rinn’s real challenge is to help Aedhan come to terms with feeling that he cannot get back the time he has lost.

Review

I received with thanks an ARC copy of The Tea Dragon Festival from Oni Press and Netgalley.

This is my review of The Tea Dragon Festival by Katie O'Neil. This will be published on 17th September 2019

This was beautifully written but I am defiantly not the attended audience but I am glad that I read this cute graphic novel. 

The Beholder (The Beholder #1) by Anna Bright

The Beholder (The Beholder #1) - No Rating

Synopsis

Selah has waited her whole life for a happily ever after.

As the only daughter of the leader of Potomac, she knows her duty is to find the perfect match, a partner who will help secure the future of her people. Now that day has finally come.
But when the night of Selah's engagement ends in an excruciatingly public rejection, her stepmother proposes the unthinkable: Selah must set sail across the Atlantic, where a series of potential suitors awaits—and if she doesn’t come home engaged, she shouldn’t come home at all.
From English castle gardens to the fjords of Norge, and even beyond borders of the dreaded Imperiya Yotne, Selah’s quest will be the journey of a lifetime. But as she searches for her future husband, she realizes that her stepmother’s schemes aren’t the only secrets hiding belowdecks… and the stakes of her voyage may be higher than any happy ending.

Review

This came in my recent Fairyloot box. Unfortunately this was an interesting concept but not to my taste.

The Witches by Roald Dahl & Quentin Blake (Illustrator)

The Witches - 4 Stars

Synopsis

THE WITCHES by Roald Dahl is the story of a detestable breed of Witches.

BEWARE.

Real witches dress in ordinary clothes and look like ordinary women. But they are not ordinary. They are always plotting and scheming with murderous, bloodthirsty thoughts - and they hate children.
The Grand High Witch hates children most of all and plans to make every single one of YOU disappear.
Only one boy and his grandmother can stop her, but if their plan fails the Grand High Witch will frizzle them like fritters, and then what . . . ?

Now you can listen to THE WITCHES and other Roald Dahl audiobooks read by some very famous voices, including Kate Winslet, David Walliams and Steven Fry - plus there are added squelchy soundeffects from Pinewood Studios!

Review

This is part of my Roald Dahl read along.

The Twits by Roald Dahl

The Twits - 3 Stars

Synopsis

Phizzwhizzing new cover look and branding for the World's NUMBER ONE Storyteller!

Mr Twit is a foul and smelly man with bits of cornflake and sardine in his beard.
Mrs Twit is a horrible old hag with a glass eye.
Together they make the nastiest couple you could ever hope not to meet.
Down in their garden, the Twits keep Muggle-Wump the monkey and his family locked in a cage. But not for much longer, because the monkeys are planning to trick the terrible Twits, once and for all . . .

And now you can listen to THE TWITS and other Roald Dahl audiobooks read by some very famous voices, including Kate Winslet, David Walliams and Steven Fry - plus there are added squelchy soundeffects from Pinewood Studios!

Also look out for new Roald Dahl apps in the App store and Google Play- including the disgusting TWIT OR MISS! and HOUSE OF TWITS inspired by the revolting Twits.

Review

Another instalment in my Roald Dahl read along.

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker & Wendy Xu (Artist)

Mooncakes - 4 Stars

Synopsis

A story of love and demons, family and witchcraft.

Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers' bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town.

One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home.

Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery.

Review

I received with thanks an ARC copy of Mooncakes from Lion Forge and Netgalley.

This is my review of Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu. This will be published on 15th October 2019

This was a beautiful tale of a witch and her werewolf friend. This has mystery, magic and intrigue. I really enjoyed reading this tale and would read another graphic novel by this writing duo. This also had excellent LGBTQ+ representation.

Would recommend if you love a good witchy romance.

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl & Quentin Blake (Illustrations)

James and the Giant Peach - 3 Stars

Synopsis

James Henry Trotter lives with two ghastly hags.

Aunt Sponge is enormously fat with a face that looks boiled and Aunt Spiker is bony and screeching.

He's very lonely until one day something peculiar happens. . .

At the end of the garden a peach starts to grow and GROW AND GROW. Inside that peach are seven very unusual insects - all waiting to take James on a magical adventure.

But where will they go in their GIANT PEACH, and what will happen to the horrible aunts if they stand in their way?

There's only one way to find out . . .

Review

Part of Roald Dahl Read along. 

The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker

The Simple Wild - 4.5 Stars

Synopsis

Calla Fletcher wasn't even two when her mother took her and fled the Alaskan wild, unable to handle the isolation of the extreme, rural lifestyle, leaving behind Calla’s father, Wren Fletcher, in the process. Calla never looked back, and at twenty-six, a busy life in Toronto is all she knows. But when Calla learns that Wren’s days may be numbered, she knows that it’s time to make the long trip back to the remote frontier town where she was born.

She braves the roaming wildlife, the odd daylight hours, the exorbitant prices, and even the occasional—dear God—outhouse, all for the chance to connect with her father: a man who, despite his many faults, she can’t help but care for. While she struggles to adjust to this rugged environment, Jonah—the unkempt, obnoxious, and proud Alaskan pilot who helps keep her father’s charter plane company operational—can’t imagine calling anywhere else home. And he’s clearly waiting with one hand on the throttle to fly this city girl back to where she belongs, convinced that she’s too pampered to handle the wild.

Jonah is probably right, but Calla is determined to prove him wrong. Soon, she finds herself forming an unexpected bond with the burly pilot. As his undercurrent of disapproval dwindles, it’s replaced by friendship—or perhaps something deeper? But Calla is not in Alaska to stay and Jonah will never leave. It would be foolish of her to kindle a romance, to take the same path her parents tried—and failed at—years ago. It’s a simple truth that turns out to be not so simple after all.

Review

This was my first K.A. Tucker novel and will not be the last. This was a heartbreakingly beautiful novel. Calla and her romance with Jonah was done well and at the end I wanted more. 

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Charlie Bucket #1) by Roald Dahl & Quentin Blake (Illustrator)

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Charlie Bucket #1) - 4 Stars

Synopsis

Willy Wonka's famous chocolate factory is opening at last!

But only five lucky children will be allowed inside. And the winners are: Augustus Gloop, an enormously fat boy whose hobby is eating; Veruca Salt, a spoiled-rotten brat whose parents are wrapped around her little finger; Violet Beauregarde, a dim-witted gum-chewer with the fastest jaws around; Mike Teavee, a toy pistol-toting gangster-in-training who is obsessed with television; and Charlie Bucket, Our Hero, a boy who is honest and kind, brave and true, and good and ready for the wildest time of his life!

Review

This is part of a trip down memory lane and I am working my way through all of Roald Dahls books.

Demon Dentist by David Walliams

Demon Dentist - 4 Stars

Synopsis

Darkness had come to the town. Strange things were happening in the dead of night. Children would put a tooth under their pillow for the tooth fairy, but in the morning they would wake up to find… a dead slug; a live spider; hundreds of earwigs creeping and crawling beneath their pillow.
Evil was at work. But who or what was behind it…? 

Review

This was very gross and very funny.

The Adventures of Captain Underpants (Captain Underpants #1) by Dav Pilkey

The Adventures of Captain Underpants (Captain Underpants #1) - Not Rated

Synopsis

Pilkey plays with words and pictures, providing great entertainment. The story is immediately engaging—two fourth-grade boys who write comic books and love to pull pranks find themselves in big trouble. Mean Mr. Krupp, their principal, videotapes George and Harold setting up their stunts and threatens to expose them. The boys' luck changes when they send for a 3-D Hypno-Ring and hypnotize Krupp, turning him into Captain Underpants, their own superhero creation. Later, Pilkey includes several pages of flip-o-ramas that animate the action. The simple black-and-white illustrations on every page furnish comic-strip appeal. The cover features Captain Underpants, resplendent in white briefs, on top of a tall building. This book will fly off the shelves.

Review

I am not the intended audience, so have not rated or reviewed this book.

It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time by Kylie Scott

It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time - 5 Stars

Synopsis

Returning home for her father’s wedding was never going to be easy for Adele. If being sent away at eighteen hadn’t been bad enough, the mess she left behind when she made a pass at her dad’s business partner sure was.

Fifteen years older than her, Pete had been her crush for as long as she could remember. But she’d misread the situation—confusing friendliness for undying love. Awkward. Add her father to the misunderstanding, and Pete had been left with a broken nose and a business on the edge of ruin. The man had to be just as glad as everyone else when she left town.

Seven years on, things are different. Adele is no longer a kid, but a fully grown adult more than capable of getting through the wedding and being polite. But all it takes is seeing him again to bring back all those old feelings.

Sometimes first loves are the truest.

Review

Another 5-star book from Kylie Scott.

This book for me is well written and does not hold back in relation to the forbidden romance storyline. I could not put this down and I was enthralled from the 1st few pages and my love for this book continued to grow from there. I enjoyed the way the author does not sugar coat truths that are interwoven within the story. For me, this was a forbidden love story done well. I loved Adele and Pete and the forbidden love that grows between them. Adele, Pete and her family at the beginning are trying to mend old wounds that were created by Adele. I love Adele’s family dynamic and her relationship with her soon be a mother in law Shanti. Shanti and Adele’s best friend Hazel throughout the story is the only help keep the other adults level headed when they struggled to remain calm. This also had for me had great smutty scenes.

If you are a fan of Kylie Scott’s Stage Series and the standalone novel Trust, then you are going to love this one.

A Very Bothersome Bear (Knight in Training #3) by Vivian French & David Melling

A Very Bothersome Bear (Knight in Training #3) - 4 Stars

Synopsis

A funny, exciting series for younger readers, by the bestselling Vivian French and David Melling. Sam J. Butterbiggins' only ambition is to be a Very Noble Knight, but he has a problem - he's been packed off to the castle next door to stay with his aunt, uncle and cousin Prune while his parents are away. But Sam's discovered a magical scroll listing the six quests to be completed to become a knight, and with his True Companion Prune's help, he's already managed two! Now Sam must find a goodly sword, but he keeps getting distracted by noble deeds that need doing. Helping a grumpy dwarf, a dunderheaded bear and an island of tiny elves might mean he'll never find his sword, but isn't that what a Very Noble Knight would do ...? 

Review

Another funny instalment in this wonderful series.

The Bride Test (The Kiss Quotient #2) by Helen Hoang

The Bride Test (The Kiss Quotient #2) - 4 Stars

Synopsis

Khai Diep has no feelings. Well, he feels irritation when people move his things or contentment when ledgers balance down to the penny, but not big, important emotions—like grief. And love. He thinks he’s defective. His family knows better—that his autism means he just processes emotions differently. When he steadfastly avoids relationships, his mother takes matters into her own hands and returns to Vietnam to find him the perfect bride.

As a mixed-race girl living in the slums of Ho Chi Minh City, Esme Tran has always felt out of place. When the opportunity arises to come to America and meet a potential husband, she can’t turn it down, thinking this could be the break her family needs. Seducing Khai, however, doesn’t go as planned. Esme’s lessons in love seem to be working…but only on herself. She’s hopelessly smitten with a man who’s convinced he can never return her affection.

With Esme’s time in the United States dwindling, Khai is forced to understand he’s been wrong all along. And there’s more than one way to love.

Review

This was a beautiful follow-up to the amazing kiss quotient. This time we follow another couple. Like the other novel, the authors writing style is beautiful, lyrical and altogether superb. I did not give this 5 stars as it was excellent but not as good as book 1.

Captive Prince (Captive Prince #1) by C.S. Pacat

Captive Prince (Captive Prince #1) - 4 Stars

Synopsis

Damen is a warrior hero to his people, and the rightful heir to the throne of Akielos. But when his half brother seizes power, Damen is captured, stripped of his identity, and sent to serve the prince of an enemy nation as a pleasure slave.

Beautiful, manipulative, and deadly, his new master, Prince Laurent, epitomizes the worst of the court at Vere. But in the lethal political web of the Veretian court, nothing is as it seems, and when Damen finds himself caught up in a play for the throne, he must work together with Laurent to survive and save his country.

For Damen, there is just one rule: never, ever reveal his true identity. Because the one man Damen needs is the one man who has more reason to hate him than anyone else…

Review

This was an interesting read. I can see why the book is controversial. I like others was horrified by the subject but drawn in by a master storyteller.  

The Magician's Nephew (The Chronicles of Narnia (Chronological Order) #1) by C.S. Lewis

The Magician's Nephew - 3 Stars

Synopsis

The adventure begins...

On a daring quest to save a life, two friends are hurled into another world, where an evil sorceress seeks to enslave them.
But then the lion Aslan's song weaves itself into the fabric of a new land, a land that will be known as Narnia.
And in Narnia, all things are possible. 

Review

This story documents the beginning of Narnia and how the two sons of Adam and the two daughters of Eve was able to travel to a from our world.

The Silver Mask (Magisterium #4) by Holly Black & Cassandra Clare

The Silver Mask (Magisterium #4) - 4 Stars

Synopsis

Callum Hunt's life has fallen apart.

His friend is gone. The spy has escaped. His secret is out.

He is facing an existence behind bars, banished from the rest of the magical community for what he is - for what he might become.

But a shocking revelation has promised freedom - at a cost. Will he stay strong, and faithful to his friends and teachers? Or take the risk, and destroy everything he's ever loved?

This fourth year at the Magisterium will be unlike anything else that has gone before . . .

Review

This is a highly enjoyable series and this was a huge improvement on the last instalment.