allmyprettybooks-new

Alanna the First Adventure (Song of the Lioness #1) by Tamora Pierce Reviewed by Amanda Kennedy on May 18th, 2016 A short while back, I entered Waterstones and excitedly asked an assistant if she could help me find a book from my childhood without knowing the title. "It's about a girl called Alanna," I explained, "She pretends to be a boy so that she can become a knight, and is adopted by her mentor, a man called Myles." I fully expected the bookseller to be confounded by my vague description. After all, this was a book I'd read in my childhood, almost thirty years ago, and I could remember neither title nor author. So I was both shocked and delighted when she could immediately solve my riddle. Particularly as the first book in the series was in stock and ready to purchase... Alanna is the first in a quadrilogy following the adventures of the titled heroine. We first meet her and her twin, Thom, as they are preparing to be sent of to their appropriate...

The Magicians by Lev Grossman Reviewed by Amanda Kennedy on May 14th, 2016 The Magicians could be described as "Harry Potter for adults". It certainly has a few similarities: a male central character, who does not realise he has magical powers; a mysterious boarding school/college... But that's about where the similarities end. I would certainly state that Lev Grossman's novel is aimed at a mature audience. With scenes involving recreational drugs, the discovery of sexual pleasure and some truly horrifying deaths, it perhaps ought to have an age restrictive rating! Quentin Coldwater is the central character in The Magicians : a disillusioned young man obsessed with his childhood interest in the magical stories of Fillory. When a manuscript for a yet-unpublished edition by his favourite author appears after an unusual college interview, he finds himself drawn into a world of mystery when he is offered a residential placement at Brakebills, surrounded by the best...

The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Adieh Reviewed by Amanda Kennedy on May 9th, 2016 Having recently read The Wrath and the Dawn , I was terribly excited to read the follow-up novel, The Rose and the Dagger , especially having seen the beautiful cover art presented on Goodreads by those who had received pre-release editions. Continuing from where the first novel left off, The Rose begins by focusing on a deeply saddened and mournful Shahrzad who longs to be reunited with Khaled amid the chaos of the civil war which has erupted in Rey. I missed Khaled during those first few chapters, there was so much focus on what was happening in Shahrzad's "camp", particularly where Tariq was involved (a character with whom I could find no empathy). Perhaps this was deliberate of Adieh, for when Shazi and her true love were finally (if briefly) reunited, the scenes left me breathless and wanting more. I was very glad to read the development of sub-plots from The Wrathi, particularl...