Tag: fantasy

ARC, books, middlegrade, Review

Book Review: Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind by Misa Sugiura

by Rosina @ Lace and Dagger BooksLeave a Comment on Book Review: Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind by Misa Sugiura
Book Review: Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind by Misa Sugiura

Over the last few years, there’s been an onslaught of new books like Percy Jackson but focusing on the mythology of various cultures written by authors from those very same cultures. It’s a trend I absolutely love, and the latest was Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind by Misa Sugiura. This Japanese-inspired story is filled with action, friendship and plenty of emotion.

Momo Arashima has just turned 12, and she’s at the bottom of the popularity list at school. She’s always seen things she shouldn’t and is made fun of because of it. But one day, she’s attacked and discovers that her Mum is a Shinto goddess and is dying. To save her life, Momo will have to close the path to Yomi and stop danger from taking over the world. Fortunately, she’s not alone and has a talking fox called Niko, and her former best friend, Danny, to help.

Continue reading “Book Review: Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind by Misa Sugiura” →
Adult, ARC, blog tour, books, Review

Blog Tour: Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amelie Wen Zhao

by Rosina @ Lace and Dagger Books1 Comment on Blog Tour: Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amelie Wen Zhao
Blog Tour: Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amelie Wen Zhao

I’m back on another blog tour, baby! I love getting these opportunities to help promote upcoming books, and this will be the first of hopefully many in 2023. This time I’m reviewing a beautiful Chinese-inspired fantasy book thanks to Random Things Tours. Song of Silver, Flame like Night was a book I was genuinely excited for.

In this book, we follow Lan, a young girl who spends her days searching for information about the strange mark her dead mother left on her and surviving her country’s colonizers. No one else can see that mark, though, until Zen. A practitioner of magic long since thought lost, Zen saves Lan’s life after she accidentally uses magic. Lan and Zen have secrets, but they’ll have to work together to free their land and protect the world.

Continue reading “Blog Tour: Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amelie Wen Zhao” →
ARC, books, middlegrade, Review

Book Review: The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton

by Rosina @ Lace and Dagger Books1 Comment on Book Review: The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton
Book Review: The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton

You might not see many middle-grade reviews on my blog, but this year I’ve decided to finally start picking up some of the kids’ books I’m interested in. Having read some of Dhonielle Clayton’s YA books, I’ve been interested in this one since I first heard about it last year. It’s a fun magical school book filled with adorable friendships, fascinating world-building and plenty of black girl magic.

Ella Durand is the first conjurer to attend the Arcanum training institute. The magic school in the clouds had been closed to her people up until now. The other students think she’s weird and fitting in isn’t easy, but she makes friends with fellow misfits Brigit and Jason. But when the Ace of Anarchy breaks out of prison, the conjurers are blamed. Suddenly, school becomes even harder for Ella. Especially when her favourite teacher disappears shortly after. If Ella is going to clear her family’s name, she needs to start by exploring her powers.

Continue reading “Book Review: The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton” →
Adult, ARC, books, Review

Book Review: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

by Rosina @ Lace and Dagger BooksLeave a Comment on Book Review: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
Book Review: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

As someone forever in search of those rare amazing faerie novels and who has enjoyed Heather Fawcett’s YA and middle grade, I knew I had to pick this one up. I was lucky enough to get an early copy thanks to Orbit books and I know that I’ll be getting as many copies as possible. Yeah, I loved this book that much.

This book follows Emily Wilde, a scholar in a version of early 20th century Cambridge who spends her life travelling and studying the fae. Her plan is to put together an encyclopedia of faeries and to finish it off she needs to meet the hidden ones living in the cold North. But her plans to keep to herself are thrown aside as she winds up having to befriend the locals and help them with their problems and go even further awry after her rival and co-worker Wendell Bambleby turns up.

Continue reading “Book Review: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett” →
Adult, books, Will I Like This Book?

Will I Like This Book? – A Study In Drowning by Ava Reid

by Rosina @ Lace and Dagger BooksLeave a Comment on Will I Like This Book? – A Study In Drowning by Ava Reid
Will I Like This Book? – A Study In Drowning by Ava Reid

Okay, so the title of this book isn’t very me, but when I saw Ava Reid, I knew I had to check this preview out. This is the final sample from my YALC selection, and it’s definitely one that I’m excited about, even though it’s coming out very late next year. Specifically, A Study in Drowning is coming out from Del Rey on 5th September 2023.

I can’t provide preorder links for this book yet as the book isn’t online yet. But I’ll definitely be shouting on social media for people to preorder this one when they can.

Continue reading “Will I Like This Book? – A Study In Drowning by Ava Reid” →
Adult, ARC, books, Review

Book Review: Forestfall by Lyndall Clipstone

by Rosina @ Lace and Dagger BooksLeave a Comment on Book Review: Forestfall by Lyndall Clipstone
Book Review: Forestfall by Lyndall Clipstone

I’ve been writing so many reviews recently, but you know that means I’ve been reading a lot. One book off my owned TBR that I got to recently was Lakesedge, so I’m happy to be here with a review of the sequel for you! This was a fascinatingly atmospheric duology with monsters, romance and a demi protagonist! Thank you again to Titan for sending me a copy of this one!

Violeta has made a bargain to escape death, but it means that she must live in the Below with Lord Under. She wants to return to her world, and when she discovers she still has a link with Rowan, she realises that she’ll go to drastic lengths to get back home.

I’m not going into the summary any deeper as this is a sequel. There may be spoilers in this review though, so do be warned. This book is a dual perspective between Violeta and Rowan, so you’ll be happy with whoever you prefer.

Continue reading “Book Review: Forestfall by Lyndall Clipstone” →
ARC, books, Review, Young Adult

Book Review: Good Enough To Eat by Gina Blaxill

by Rosina @ Lace and Dagger BooksLeave a Comment on Book Review: Good Enough To Eat by Gina Blaxill
Book Review: Good Enough To Eat by Gina Blaxill

I really am a massive fan of fairytale retellings. Especially those marketed as dark or those that twist the stories around. Because of that, I’ve had my eye on All The Better To See You With for a while. I didn’t know that Gina Blaxill was coming out with a second book in this series. When I got the email about this one from Scholastic, I just had to ask for it.

This is a retelling of Hansel and Gretel, a fairytale we all know but rarely see retellings of. The village of Westerleen has been losing young boys to a witch in a gingerbread cottage for years. When Hansel and Gretel return from the woods alive, the villagers assume that Hansel saved them. But it was actually Gretel. What will she do to actually get her freedom and be recognised?

Continue reading “Book Review: Good Enough To Eat by Gina Blaxill” →
ARC, books, new adult, Review

Book Review: Not Good For Maidens by Tori Bovalino

by Rosina @ Lace and Dagger BooksLeave a Comment on Book Review: Not Good For Maidens by Tori Bovalino
Book Review: Not Good For Maidens by Tori Bovalino

We all know I love dark, queer books right? We all know that if someone can get fae or fae-adjacent books when they’re done right, don’t we? Well, this book does both of those things oh so well, and, oh my god, I’m so happy I’ve read this book. I’ll be going back and reading Tori Bovalino’s first book after this one as Not Good For Maidens? Such a damn good book. Thanks so much to Sarah at Titan for sending me a copy!

Not Good For Maidens is a retelling of the poem The Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti. We follow two main characters, Lou in the present and May, 18 years before. Lou has grown up with her Mum and Aunt May in Boston. But when her other Aunt Neela disappears and leaves a strange voicemail, Lou wants to go to York to track her down. Her Mum and May don’t want her there, as before Lou was born, May was trapped in the Goblin Market herself. After being led down there by a beautiful goblin girl.

Continue reading “Book Review: Not Good For Maidens by Tori Bovalino” →
books, spotlights, Young Adult

Spotlight: A Rebel’s Path by I.L Cruz

by Rosina @ Lace and Dagger BooksLeave a Comment on Spotlight: A Rebel’s Path by I.L Cruz
Spotlight: A Rebel’s Path by I.L Cruz

Back in 2020, I had the opportunity to be part of a blog tour for A Noble’s Path by I.L Cruz. Since then, I’ve been regularly checking out Amazon to see when the third book would come out. Then the other week, I got an email asking if I would be interested in reading and reviewing it. My answer was a firm yes! But unfortunately, I’ve not got time currently. I still wanted to support this book though and tell you all to grab a copy.

So instead I’m leaving you all with this spotlight post.

Read on to find the summary, cover and some buy links.

Continue reading “Spotlight: A Rebel’s Path by I.L Cruz” →
Adult, books, Will I Like This Book?

Will I Like This Book? – Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs

by Rosina @ Lace and Dagger Books3 Comments on Will I Like This Book? – Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs
Will I Like This Book? – Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs

The majority of the books I’ve spoken about in this post have been ones that I’ve been really excited about. But this one? This I’m not so sure about… It doesn’t sound bad, but it wasn’t great either. I’m not sure what I think about it, so let’s go into a little more detail.

This is an adult fantasy thriller that follows two sisters; Joanna and Esther. For generations, the Kalotay family has guarded a collection of rare and dangerous books. Books that contain magic. But now Joanna lives alone, guarding the books and trying to create her own whilst her older half-sister Esther hasn’t lived in one place for more than a year since she left home. Until now. But when someone on the antarctic base Esther lives and works on starts using magic, she realises she’ll never escape her family’s legacy. Now the sisters will have to work together to unravel the secrets of these books until it’s too late.

If this book sounds like your sort of thing, then it’ll be published by Del Rey in July 2023.

Continue reading “Will I Like This Book? – Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs” →