Brin's Book Blog

I honestly must be one of the very few people who has yet to read Alexandra Christo's debut To Kill a Kingdom (though I plan to rectify that shortly) so I wasn't 100% sure what I would be getting going into this book. Sometimes that's a good thing though - it can be better not to have any expectations because they usually get dashed, more often than not...

I was really happy to get an advanced copy through Reader's First so thanks to them and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read it a little early (I also got the stunning Fairyloot edition which which just so pretty I can't help but sit and admire it!)

So, I didn't really know too much about the story of Into the Crooked Place so it was a wonderful little surprise when I got the book through the post. I have heard a lot of people make comparisons between this book and Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo and also Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody but because I haven't read these two books I didn't have any preconceptions so I was able to enjoy this book on its own merits without any kind of baggage.

I'm not going to go too much into the story (I think it is better enjoyed going in with little to no knowledge - it's that kind of book) but I will say that I am always up for a book about magical hi-jinks. I also love books that contain heists - they are always fun to me and this one definitely entertained. I am very much looking forward to seeing how the plot develops in the next book.

There are four main characters in this book (Tavia, Wesley, Karam, and Saxony) plus a couple of additional POV's which did sometimes make it a little bit confusing at times. However, each had a distinctive voice and it was necessary to get the characters motivations. I tend to prefer books with a singular POV but multiple viewpoints does work for me on occasion and this one did for the most part.

There wasn't a great deal of time to get to know the characters but I liked what development we did get. Wesley and Tavia were my favourites; especially Wesley - he is such a contradiction and for most of the book I couldn't work out if he was going to turn out to be the bad guy or not (and I'm not telling you one way or the other!) His one-time friendship with Tavia and how it has disintegrated since he became a crime boss was very interesting and I found myself desperate for their chapters.

I only really started to enjoy Saxony as a character towards the end of the book when she got a little bit more interesting (suffice it to say, I am really looking forward to seeing her story in the next book). She was probably the weakest character for me at the start even though her story has perhaps the most potential generally. Karam started off pretty intriguing (I love kickass warrior girls) but her story was probably the most stagnant overall and she seemed to just be there as a prop for Saxony. I do think as a character she has many ways her story could go though and I am hopeful she gets a bit more page-time in the follow-up novel.

The plot was pretty exciting and moved at breakneck speeds (sometimes a little too fast - you didn't always get the chance to breathe chapter to chapter). I think the world-building was fairly decent but I did get a little bit lost at times due to the speed in which the characters moved through each place visited.

The bad guy was suitably malevolent and there were a few twists and turns (though I did guess one particular twist pretty early on and felt it was telegraphed throughout the story).

I am definitely eager for the second book (though it will be a bit of a wait I would imagine as there is no release date, cover, or even title as of yet). A pretty solid offering and I am definitely sold on most of the characters and the plot and can't wait to see how they all develop!

Holy smokes Batman - this was a scorching read! *fans self* It's no secret that I am a huge fan of Natalia Jaster's books but this one might just be my favourite yet (and that's a massive compliment because I totally adore all of her other works!) I loved absolutely everything about Tempt: the characters, the setting, the story... it was sheer perfection. Hades and Persephone retellings are totally a weakness I never knew I had. Throw in an enemies to lovers trope and I am in literary heaven!

Full disclosure: I'm on Natalia's ARC Team but this in no way has influenced my rating. I was so happy to be sent this little beauty. It went a long way to cure me of the book hangover I had been suffering from and it couldn't have come at a more perfect time!

Now, enough waffling... onto the review!

At the end of Torn (the second book in the Selfish Myths series), Wonder first set eyes on Malice, the malevolent exile god whose appearance managed to rattle the normally unflappable deity. Malice too seemed to be affected by Wonder. This interesting little altercation left me salivating for their backstory so when I found out the next book would be about them, well I was very happy, to say the least!

Wonder is part of a class of gods and goddesses that have dared to go against their makers. Love fell for a mortal boy, Anger fell hard for a failed goddess. Now it is Wonder's turn.

A celestial battle approaches and any advantage could mean the difference between life and death. Wonder knows she will need to gather as much information as she can in order to defeat her enemies. The only problem is that she will have to put her trust (and fate) in the hands of Malice, a former god now exiled and a prisoner of the gang.

The two of them have to break into a subterranean library relying on only their wits to get them where they need to go and each other. A precarious situation, for sure. Wonder isn't sure of Malice's intentions and is even less sure of her own conflicting feelings for the sharp-tongued exile. For Malice is the spitting image of her lost love - a mortal whose downfall she played a huge part in and for which she still carries a load of guilt.

But Malice couldn't possibly be her lost love, could he? It just wouldn't be possible... still, stranger things have already happened and as she gets closer to Malice, she begins to see that what she thought wouldn't have been possible is becoming more and more likely the more she gets to know Malice.

The two grow closer as they spend time in their favourite domain: both of them are scholars at heart, and Wonder sees new sides to Malice each day they are ensconced among the forbidden tomes. However, Wonder will find herself torn between the love she once felt for her mortal boy and the ever-increasing feelings she has for his celestial doppelganger. She will have to make a choice and in doing so may forever break her own heart...

Alright, I was intrigued for Wonder and Malice's pairing, I will not deny it, but I wasn't prepared for just how swept up I would become in their story. Their relationship was everything I never knew I needed. I was full-on swooning! 

I have always had a soft spot for Wonder. I love bookish types and her character just always appealed to me right from the very first book. I was intrigued by her backstory and the suffering she endured as punishment for her supposed transgressions.

Malice also drew me in from his first appearance in Torn. I do love a bad boy but Malice was something else entirely. He was a villain - no doubt about it - but I really wanted to know what made him the way he was and when I realized he was destined for Wonder I was very curious to see how his redemption would play out.

I was not disappointed. His growth is this book was nothing short of phenomenal. Wonder played a part in this but it wasn't just love that was responsible for his recovery and eventual healing. Learning about his past and shaking off the demons that came with it was very satisfying and cathartic.

There was nothing I didn't enjoy about Tempt. The story was amazing and Wonder and Malice are now my very favourite power couple of this series! It was great also catching up with Love and Andrew, Merry and Anger, and Sorrow and Envy (can't wait for their book!) The story is falling into place nicely, the stakes are high and the characters are poised for action. They are on the precipice of war - not just to change the fates but for their very own survival. I can't wait to see how this is resolved in Transcend (and isn't that title fabulous?)

I finished this book a couple of days ago but I needed some time to mull it over, to put my thoughts into order, and give The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis the kind of review it merits.

So what did I think of this book? I was conflicted but overall I loved it. Now, you might be asking yourself why I loved it if it also brought out conflicting emotions in me? That is a good question with many different answers but the most simple is that it was an incredibly difficult book to read; the subject matter (sex trafficking, prostitution, and sexual exploitation) was a heavy one and I wasn’t sure how this would work in a young adult novel. Whether it would be given the depth and nuance that the subject matter warrants. Even while reading, I was pretty tense wondering how the story would resolve.

Suffice it to say, it wasn’t necessarily an enjoyable read. However, it was a very important one and I’m glad I persevered. Despite the heavy topic, the were moments of levity and the inter-personal relationships between the characters were wonderful. I almost can’t believe this book is author Charlotte Nicole Davis’ debut – the writing is almost flawless and the story very engaging.

But, I’m getting ahead of myself. This story begins with a character, Clementine, one of the titular ‘Good Luck Girls’ of the title, preparing for her induction into the ranks, her ‘Lucky Night’ where her virginity is sold off to the highest bidder. At sixteen years old, it is now her time and the book opens with the preparation for this. She will soon be joining her elder sister, entertaining ‘brags’ (marks or clients), forced into a life of prostitution that there is no escape from.

This is a very clever narrative choice: you as the reader are sucked in right away. The nerves that Clementine feels, the growing sickness when you realize what is going to transpire hooks you in right away. When the dread manifests fully, and the absolute worst happens you feel the same sense of panic and fear that Clementine feels, you almost feel that it is you that is getting the life choked out of you when her client takes a vicious and violent turn. When she overcomes her aggressive ‘brag’, you feel nothing but relief, until you realize that Clementine has accidentally killed her client. You don’t feel bad for him, you just know Clementine will be the one who pays the ultimate price.

The novel then switches over to Aster point of view, Clementine’s older sister who has always been her protector, and stays there for the rest of the novel. Aster has been living the life of a ‘sundown girl’ for over a year now. She is angry, so very angry, at the helplessness of their situation. She would do anything, anything at all, to spare Clem from this fate but has, thus far, been powerless to help her.

When Aster discovers what has happened, she knows they have to try and make a run for it. There is no way in which Clem would make it out of the situation alive. Made difficult by the tattoos each girl adorns (which are infused by a certain magic that prevents them from removing or covering them up for any great length of time, thereby rendering them unable to escape their bondage), the two girls are forced to call upon two of Clem’s closest friends Tansy and Mallow (who have yet to become sundown girls), and one of Aster’s greatest enemies Violet (a fellow sundown girl who has always been the favourite: spoiled and entitled) to engineer their escape.

Somehow, beyond all expectations, the five girls do manage to break free of their house but they are soon embroiled in a deadly chase, pursued by raveners from their house (men able to torture them with powers and break their minds) and family members of the deceased patron who are seeking revenge. They meet both friends and foes during their travels, on a search to find the mythical Lady Ghost who legend states can remove their markings. A chance encounter with a young rangeman named Zee might be their salvation, or perhaps their downfall…

Well, this book certain packs a helluva punch! Gut-wrenching is the only word I can find to describe it. Gut-wrenching and heart-breaking at the same time. My heart bled for these young women: Aster, Clementine, Tansy, Mallow, and Violet. All of them had been through so much hurt. I honestly don’t know how they were able to pick themselves up and endure. Aster, in particular, really stood out. She was so fierce and protective of her sister (and later the rest of the girls). She was a wonderful character and I think it was a very good choice to follow her POV.

I loved the diversity of the main characters. Aster, Clem and Mallow are all POC as are many of the supporting characters. It makes their story even more meaningful.

The ending did feel a little abrupt but I am glad to find out there will be at least one other novel (maybe more? I’m not sure). This story deserves to be told and I can’t wait to see how it develops. Aster and Violet are the ones whose story was most left hanging and I am eager to see more of these girls and their overcoming of their hardships.

I absolutely love my new Alice in Wonderland-themed jewellery from Fallen Saint!

 Can you guess these future stars???

The girl on the front of this vintage young adult book from 1988 ‘The Tricksters’ by Margaret Mahy is the double of Cara Delevingne!

February is love of reading month! #February #LoveBooks