Throne of Glass Sarah J Maas

So when all this started, I said I was going to blog more and actually be consistent with my reviews. But I didn't. At least I'm consistent with my inconsistency and not blogging. I read Throne of Glass several years ago and absolutely fell in love with Celaena Sardothien and all the characters and honestly it's a crime I haven't reviewed it sooner. One night I pontificated on for hours explaining the plot of the first four or five books however many were out at the time to CA because that's just the kind of person I am and that should tell you just how much I love these books. CA still reminds me of it when I talk too much. Anyway the series follows Celaena, an assassin through her various adventures.

Characters!

So bear with me as I try to remember who were the major characters were in the first book, and describe the without giving away anything more than is in this book.

• Celaena Sardothien- of course we have our main character. She also happens to be one of my absolute favorite characters. She's pretty badass even in this book. She's an assassin and thus trained in all sorts of deadly arts and generally keeping her head while having an amazing temper and ability to hold a grudge. She's spunky and determined and a bookworm to boot.
• Dorian Halivard- He's the Crown Prince of the Adarlan Empire and I love him a lot. He's a sweetheart and also a booklover and if you can't guess I love booklover characters. He disagrees with his father on pretty much everything and I really need to start rereading books before I review them. Honestly I know so much about his personality and character but I'm just not sure how much of it goes with this book and how much character growth is involved. So I'm going with sweetheart who stands for what he believes in.
• Chaol Westfall- No I don't actually know how to pronounce that, I think it's something like Kale but I don't actually know. He's the captain of the guard and Dorian's personal guard and best friend. He's not my favorite character and that's partly because of this book and partly because of the rest of the series and the way he acts toward Celaena. Anyway he's naturally suspicious and watches out for Dorian and wants the best for him. He's also judgemental, less so in this book if I remember correctly but he's still judgemental.
• Nehemia- She becomes one of Celaena's best friends. TBH I don't remember much about her but what I do remember is that she is sweet and strong. She comes from the the country Eyllwe, a former country in Erilea that Adarlan conquered. She encourages Celaena and helps her to continue on even when she's discouraged. I'm also not entirely certain she's in this book.

There are so many characters that I absolutely love and some I really hate but I can't talk about them because they haven't come in yet or the reasons I love or hate them give away too much. Basically from this point on I'm going to be screaming READ THIS SERIES! at you.

Plot!!

So the plot is a little fuzzy for me because it's running into the next book so bear with me here. So we start the book with Dorian and Chaol in the Endiover Salt Mines demanding that Celaena be Dorian's Champion for this contest his father is putting on. The reason they have for wanting Celaena is that she is or at least was before she got caught (and that's a whole other plot point that belongs in the short story collection) the most feared assassin in the entire empire. Here's the catch she's eighteen, and a girl. Her trial was held behind closed doors and after the trial all record of her was struck from the record. So she can't go by her actual name so they come up with an alias Lillian Gordaina and offer her relative freedom if she competes. If she doesn't she goes back to mining in Endovier and you don't really say no to the Crown Prince and Captain of the Guard. So she does and enters into a competition that should be to the death (it only kinda is). She trains and competes in various trials of fighting and poisons and other assassin skills. And of course dodges suspicion  from the other contestants all while trying to stay alive and facing off against magic. Magic that shouldn't exist. It disappeared from the continent ten years ago when the King took over. 

Review!

So I love this entire series, but honestly this book isn't my favorite. Celaena isn't as awesome here as she is in the next book even and the magic is kinda forced. It is however worth reading because it opens up the whole universe. I give it five paw prints with a note of you should definitely read the rest of the series and it gets so much better. 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾   READ IT

Happy Reading!

Merlin:)

10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston

Woohoo another review. That's two this week. I'm very proud of this. It may be the only thing good coming out of having to social distance, well that and keeping other people from getting sick. Anyway we're moving on to 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston. It's set at Christmas and I read it around Valentines day but being a ROM-COM it still fit the mood. I then immediately begged CA to read it an she loved it. So now I'm spreading the love, and hopefully much needed joy with all of y'all in this depressing time. I also met the author on a rainy February day, she's really nice, so there will be some random facts I gained from her included. So the basic premise is that Sophie is spending Christmas at home with her friends and boyfriend rather than with her family. That goes down the drain and she goes to her Grandparent's house to spend Christmas with her rather large family.

Characters!

I'm only going to do the big main characters being Sophie, her cousins, Wes, and her boyfriend because I just don't want to go through every aunt, uncle and relative and I just don't have the energy.

• Sophie- She's a senior in high school and still figuring out where she wants to go to college and basically staring down the nose of the rest of her life and is understandably a little overwhelmed. She's also sweet and loves her family more than anything, even if they do get on her nerves sometimes. After all when her Christmas plans fall apart that's who she runs to. Sophie also will not take crap from people.
• Olivia- Sophie's cousin who is sweet and excited that Sophie is with them for the holidays. She wants Sophie to be happy and have fun this Christmas like they used to. She's on Sophie's side, most of the time, and much like Sophie stands by her family.
• Charlie- Sophie's other cousin I'm actually going to talk about and not just mention in passing. He's hilarious in that 17 year old boy kind of way. All of the Fab Four, being Sophie, Olivia, Charlie, and Wes (he's next) are about the same age. It's very important to remember he's a 17 year old boy from Louisiana and not to expect much more of him. The family and Louisiana play a very big role in who he is and I can just tell you this coming from a close Southern family.
• Wes- The final member of the Fab Four. He's super sweet and caring. He's not even genetically part of the their family and yet they mean so much to him too and his family is practically part of their family.
• Griffin- I don't like Griffin. He's Sophie's ex-boyfriend. He's your regular southern douche who doesn't know what he's lost until it's gone and then proceeds to be over it like that. He really irritates me.

Plot!

So we start our story with Sophie's parents leaving her at home for Christmas. They are going to see her sister, who is on bed-rest with pre-eclampsia, and the plan is for her to go spend the vacation with her grandparents and very very large family. She on the other hand plans on sneaking away and spending most of the break with her friends and boyfriend. She goes to tell Griffin this and overhears him talking about wanting to break up with her, so she saves him the trouble and breaks up with him and drives to her grandparents. While she cries, her grandmother, Nona, comes up with a plan to help her feel better. Over the rest of Christmas break, excluding Christmas Eve and Day, members of the family are going to set her up on ten blind dates. And that's where the title comes from. Some dates are great like Olivia, Charlie, and her cousin Sara's dates which include an underground Christmas party. Other's like Aunt Patice's or the Evil Joe's aren't as great, I'll leave you to decide which is worse. And of course to make it interesting Griffin comes crawling back asking for a second chance with Sophie. And makes her question everything.

My Opinion! (mixed with some random facts I learned from the author)

I personally loved this book and can't wait for 10 Truths and A Dare which is set to come out some time next year I think. The spirit of the book is incredible it's set at Christmas, came out in October and I think it would be a good read any time of the year, especially now when we need something light and happy. Ashley breaks the rule about having a cast of thousands but it just doesn't matter all of them are so much fun and a family. I mean when my entire family gets together there are fifteen people and we don't hold a candle to this family with our loudness and craziness. All of the dates are fun to read, even the ones that gave me second hand embarrassment. When I met Ashley she said the reason behind all the blind dates stems from the fact that she and her husband met on a blind date. And to top it all off this wonderful book is becoming a Netflix movie done by the same people who did To All the Boys. I'm very excited about this and can't wait. Ten of ten paw prints if you're in the mood for a cheesy romantic movie 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

Enjoy social distancing (as much as you can and I hope you don't have a family like mine or Sophie's and you can get together with some of the younger members if you live really close together) Stay safe,

Merlin:)

My Lady Jane by The Lady Janies (Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows)

Hello and welcome back to we're all stuck inside for the good of all humanity so we might actually get semi-regular updates.
Today we're going to talk about My Lady Jane an absolutely fabulous magical historical fiction book. It was recommended to me by CA several years ago. And I'm just now reviewing it... Oops I guess. Well My Lady Jane is the semi true story of the woman who was queen for nine days before Queen Mary the First of England and after King Edward.  She was a real person and really was queen for nine days. History has pretty much forgotten her, except for maybe in England, but trust me she existed. Basically before Edward died of tuberculosis Lady Jane's father, Lord Henry Grey, convinced him that Jane, a protestant, was a better choice for a successor than his half older sister Mary, a catholic. So when he died, Jane was declared Queen of England. A month before she had married a man named Lord Guilford Dudley (who is also a character and I absolutely love him) who  took an army to stand against the people and Mary. With him gone Jane was declared a traitor and her reign came to an end. On July 20 she was imprisoned in the Tower of London, and Guilford was arrested. They were found guilty of treason and sentenced to death but due to their youth and innocence Mary wouldn't execute them. Unfortunately, early the next year Lord Grey, Jane's father, led a rebellion and thus to end the rebellion Mary had to execute all of her opponents including Jane and Guilford. On February 12 1554 both of them died and the executioner held up her head and said "So perish all of the queen's enemies! Behold the head of a traitor!" Well this is the story of Jane and Guilford with some magic mixed in and a healthy dose of fiction thrown in because why read what really happened when you can make it so much more interesting.

Characters!

• Lady Jane Grey- She's nerdy, she's badass, and she doesn't want to get married. She also wears pants which is very against the status quo in Edwardian England. She's awesome and really annoyed about being married off. Also she loves to read which is amazing.
• Lord Gifford Dudley- Call him G. He's sweet and not really what you expect. He's an Eðian (eth-y-un) which I will talk more about in a minute. He also writes poetry and is a romantic at heart.
• Edward- King Edward really the one before Mary. He's sweet and kind and wants to believe the best in everyone. He's also an Eðian. And that's all I've got for him partly because he's not a main character and partly because its been a minute before I read it.
• Gracie- She's Scottish and spunky. Being Scottish she really doesn't like the British. If that isn't enough she's an Eðian.

Plot!

So in this magical version of England and history, rather than being split between Protestants and Catholics England is split between Eðians and Verities. Eðians are those with magic, they can shape shift into another animal, just one though. Verities are those without this magic who hate it and believe all with it should be killed. Given that there are a fair few Eðians the extermination of them could cause some problems. You can also see how this could cause a problem for our characters. Anyway Edward is told he has less than a year to live and is convinced by G's father to name Jane as his successor over Mary or Elizabeth. Edward is true to his time and doesn't believe that a woman should rule the country so Dudley (G's father) arranges for her to marry G. G is cursed to stay in his Eðian form, a horse, from daybreak to dawn everyday and neither of the two can break this to Jane. Jane being the feminist that she is is very annoyed by being married off and goes to G's family to meet her soon to be husband. Being cursed, G is unable to meet her and his brother makes some crass jokes and comments about G being a womanizer , which he isn't, that kind of irritate Jane. In this time Edward has discovered he's being poisoned and flees. Jane and G get married at dusk, G gets drunk to tell Jane his secret, doesn't and passes out on the floor of their room, and Jane wakes up very surprised to find a horse in her room. It's announced Edward has died, and Jane is queen. Mary decides to take back her thrown, but unlike in history Jane and G escape and the story truly begins. There's an army or two and a group of Eðians running rampant. It's tons of fun.

My Opinion!

Personally I love My Lady Jane all the characters are great and funny. There's some swearing, and romance, and the very end is a little more risque than the rest of the book as it ends with Jane and G's second wedding night. But nothing too out there. Personally I say 14+ to read it just for some maturity but it's great. The Lady Janies have written another book too, My Plain Jane, which I will review soon, and another set to come out in June, My Calamity Jane. Ten of ten paw prints🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾 

A Brief Word On The Current Situation

Let me begin with LET ME OUT OF THIS HOUSE. I can't stand it anymore. I need to see real life people in person. So to all of you people not staying at home because you just don't want to STAY HOME. If you're a healthcare worker or business owner or necessary personal I salute you, especially healthcare workers. Everyone else refusing to stay at home I hope you step on a lego. I've taken to putting together puzzles I've been meaning to do for a while. I just finished a 3D Diagon Alley which is super cool and now I'm working on a 3D Cinderella's castle. I've read, watched an inordinate amount of TV (hulu/netflix/dvds), and cooked. I want out. I want to go see people, I won't but I want to. So now that I've vented some of my crazy I invite you to do the same. Also go outside and enjoy the sun I know it makes me feel better.

Enjoy social distancing,

Merlin:)

House of Salt and Sorrows Erin A Craig

Hello my dears,
Tonight brings you a review of House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig which is part fairytale, part Victorian England fantasy, part gothic Edgar Allen Poe-esque story, all amazing. House of Salt and Sorrows is a gothic retelling of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" or "The Shoes That Were Danced to Pieces" and I absolutely adore it. Mind you I love retellings (most of the time). In this story the princesses are *whisper* cursed. Slowly the sisters are dying. DUH DUH DUNN!

Characters!

• The Sisters (listed in roughly age order)
• Ava- We start the story with her dead so there's not that much to say about her
• Octavia- She's also dead to begin with
• Elizabeth- And her
• Eulalie- We start off with her funeral
• Camille- Finally a sister I can talk a little bit about. She's super sweet and helps Annaleigh with all the death in their families. 
• Annaleigh- Our main character. The one I remember the most about, because honestly I should probably reread this book before I review it but I'm not so bear with me here. I love her. She's inquisitive, and absolutely done with these rumors that her family is cursed. She doesn't like the way everyone says Eulalie died and sets out to find out what really happened.
• The Triplets
• Lenore- Approximately sixteen and a typical teenage girl.
• Rosalie- Much like her sisters she's very excited to be turning sixteen and wants to debut with a ball
• Ligeia- Also very much like her other sisters. A very typical teenager
• The Graces (Not triplets but very close and all named after graces of humanity)
• Mercy- Young excitable, sweet
• Honor- Also young and excitable and kind
• Verity- The youngest, excitable, and kind. Yes I know these are very vague descriptions but the story is all about Annaleigh and dancing and magical balls not all the sisters and who they are. Like I said I need to reread this but I'm not right now. Anyway she can see things that others can't.
• Morella- The girl's stepmother. She's from the mainland and doesn't quiet understand the traditions of the island. This is kinda important because she's pregnant. She has her moments but she's not the greatest. 

Thats all the characters I really remember anything about and that's a stretch. So moving onward.

Plot!

We start our story with a funeral. Eulalie has died and is being buried. Fun fact, I met Erin at an event at my local book store, won a contest for sparkly shoes (and impressed her with my ability to walk in heels which at 5'2" is not a really impressive feat) and won a face mask, a beach towel, and the necklace that Annaleigh noticed Eulalie wearing at her funeral. Yep I own a copy of the necklace a dead girl is buried in. Well Morella tells the girls' father that she's pregnant and they decide to end the mourning period that's been going on for years. One death after another after another has lead to years and years of mourning. And this ends. Annaleigh and the older sisters are not in favor of this and first and then they get into it. Annaleigh personally decides to figure out what happened to Eulalie because she doesn't want to believe she killed herself. And then the balls start. They start normal enough with an actual celebration of the triplets sixteenth birthday, and then lead to magical parties in different places each night. Annaleigh's investigation brings up some interesting things and that's all you get. If you want to know more read the book. CA if you're interested I might be convinced to loan you my signed copy.

My Opinion!

Personally I loved this book. To start with, all of the children of this Duke on this island are all girls and they aren't treated as inferior in anyway. This island that's part of a patriarchal society has it's own traditions where the oldest child of the family gets to inherit the Duchy. I love that so much. All of the girls have unique personalities and no one is shamed for their interests. It's awesome to me to see that in writing. I've never been shamed per se for my interests but when I say things that are scientifically correct and true or "I want to be a cardiac thoracic surgeon" I get looks like I'm crazy. My grandmother actually told me I should be a nurse instead. I have nothing against nurses, they do more than doctors do most of the time, their job is basically to make sure the doctor doesn't kill you. I just got offended because she told me she wanted me to be a nurse because who would take up for me if I was a doctor. So to see this in action in a book that is set to become a TV show at some point that I'm hoping will take the world by storm, is amazing. Also I love gothic retellings of fairy tales. The original fairy tales are really dark anyway but to spin them in a different way that brings a different darkness to light. And I enjoy reading Poe when I'm not being made to analyze it so adding Anabel Lee as twist to a fairy tale is like top level of awesome. Also the love interest who's just kinda there is awesome. He's a secondary thought though, her primary thought is always figuring out just what on earth is going on. Which is also really cool, a love interest that is a secondary thought. I love it. I cannot stop singing it's praises. Ten of ten paw prints 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

Enjoy social distancing and stay healthy and safe,

Merlin:)

One of Us is Next Karen M McManus

It's back my wonderful readers. Scandal and mystery have returned to Bayview once again.
About That may be gone, and Simone's death solved but Bayview is far from done with scandal. That's right my wonderful readers, there's a sequel to One of Us is Lying. Now you have two options a brief recap or reading the review I did here. So here's the gist of One of Us is Lying, five people go into detention one day only four come out. Simon Keller has died and all in the room are suspect. In the end with the plot twist of the year (maybe) it turns out that Simon was crazy and killed himself to cause a news story that would last for years. One of Us is Next is set the fall of the next year, after the Bayview four have gotten on with their lives and are moving on. This book follows three new teens, Phoebe, Maeve and Knox as a new twist on Simon's legacy takes Bayview by storm, Truth or Dare. TBH not gonna lie, when I saw Maeve's name I gasped and almost fell out of my chair It's Bronwyn's SISTER!!!

Characters!!

• Maeve Rojas- Bronwyn's sister. She had Leukemia but recovered four years ago. Super nice, but a little off on social cues after spending most of her childhood in the hospital. She's also like some technology super genius as I'm sure anyone who has read One of Us is Lying will remember.
• Knox- Maeve's friend and all around sweetheart. He's smart and sweet and logical and I LOVE him! He want's to do good in the world and is already on his way working with Eli at Until Proven.
• Phoebe- Her secret comes out first and shocks everyone and sends her family into pieces. Her dad has died some years previous to the book and she's still feeling the effects of his death. She's the party girl, the girls who hooks up with everyone, who splits up people without really meaning to, and yet still liked by many. 
• Unknown- Unknown starts the game with a text. He challenges Phoebe to pick Truth or Dare. If you don't pick it's Truth and you have to suffer the consequences. 

Plot!

So One of Us is Next picks up a year after One of Us is Lying ends. Bronwyn is at Yale, Addi is figuring out what she wants to do, Cooper is playing baseball at CalTech, and Nate is working for Knox's dad and going to college. Maeve is starting her junior year and navigating high school which is tons of fun, Knox is figuring out who he is, and Phoebe is dealing with her family and how they've fallen apart after her dad's death. The Unknown texts. Simon's legacy lives on and this time it's a game. Truth or Dare. It's up to you but I'd take the dare.

Review!

I LOVE this book. Honestly nothing Karen M. McManus has written has let me down yet. This was another what's going to happen next page turner. With huge plot twists. If you thought One of Us is Lying had a big plot twist you are in for a surprise. Full of suspense and thrills One of Us is Next will thrill mystery fans. I love the characters. Maeve is awesome! This is a truly wonderful mystery. Ten of ten paw prints 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

Happy Reading,

Merlin:)

P.S. Always take the Dare

The first season of Anne with an E A netflix original

Welcome my dears to what promises to be a scathing review of Anne with an E. Yes scathing.
I went into this show excited, one of my favorite books was going to be a Netflix show. The first two or three episodes were great but then we take a 90° turn and not so much. Should have learned my lesson from Thirteen Reasons Why. So buckle up my friends, this is going to be a wild ride.

Casting!

The casting for this show was amazing! The characters look just like I alway picture them when I read Anne. They could not have picked a better Anne with her red hair and spunk. She's amazing. Marilla looks likes Marilla and Mathew is spot on too. 

The Plot...

I was going to break this down episode by episode, but then I realized I don't remember what happened in each episode and I refuse to watch that show again. EVER. So the fist couple of episodes were really good. Like followed the book so well only veered from the plot a little bit as expected with a page to screen adaptation. Then, then, we took a ninety degree turn and started on a whole different path. So *SPOILERS* I am going to rant about all the things that are wrong with this show in a calm manner (hopefully). To start Ruby Gillis's house never burns down. Her house is still there in the second or third book, it didn't burn down. On the subject of Ruby Gillis she and the other girls were never afraid of Anne they loved her because she was weird and had this amazing imagination. Also lets just take a moment to go to the PTA a meeting that Marilla goes to in the show?? I don't think there's even a PTA meeting in the books, ever. Where did that come from? Anne doesn't even say that much about Mr. Harmond/Thomas at all in the book much less the girls. However the scene where Anne gets Diana drunk was amazing and when she saves Minnie May from croup 😍😍. Skipping a little farther into the series, the bank is shaking and failing which happens in the book... Six years after Anne arrives at Green Gables. SIX YEARS!! Also on this subject Mathew doesn't get sick where he can't work, he dies. Has a heart attack and dies. Now on to Gilbert. I adore Gilbert, book and early show. The moment when Anne breaks her slate over Gilbert's head is one of my favorite things ever. And the show does that really well. However, a couple of things. Gilbert doesn't leave Avonlea until he goes to Queens, as a teenager like five years into the first book. Second Mrs. Blythe is alive throughout the books. At the end of the third book, she's there. Third, Mr. Blythe is also alive throughout the books. In Anne's house of Dreams (I think) he helps Gilbert get his medical practice going. So to recap, both of Gilbert's parents are alive and he never runs away. Just to mention the ending, they A) don't take in borders after Mathew dies, B) Anne is almost seventeen when Mathew dies, and C) No one ever robs Green Gables. And that's just the stuff that really bothers me.

Review

So I loved the first few episodes of this show. The rest not so much. I hate this show as much as I hate any show because of how far it goes from the books and everyone still loves it so much going on about how great it is. It takes a classic and it's name and goes so far from it's story. Yes I have heard of artistic license and that page to scene adaptations are going to be slightly different. That doesn't excuse complete changing the whole story. I am a purist when it comes to adaptations but I'm willing to go with a lot. This crosses a line in adapting books to shows and I'm sure L. M. Montgomery is rolling in her grave with the way this book has been adapted. A paw print and a whisker of ten just for the casting, that's all that saves this show from being horrible.🐾⚟⚞
Happy reading
Merlin:)

Anne of Green Gables L. M. Montgomery

Hello my dears. Are you ready for a classic, because I am.
Anne of Green Gables is one of my very favorite books of all time. It's and absolute classic and if you haven't read it you are missing out. I remember reading it for the first time when I was 7 and falling in love with Anne and Marilla and Mathew, now years later I still love the characters and the story. No matter how times I read it I fall in love all over again and laugh and cry in all the same places. It never gets old. There have been so many adaptations of this book into a movie or show (Anne with an E 🤮🤮) but none have ever lived up to the book. I love it sooo much!

Characters!

• Anne Shirley- The eleven year old protagonist of our story, Anne is an orphan girl who gets adopted by Marilla and Mathew Cuthbert in Avonlea on Prince Edward Island. Anne is a spunky imaginative eleven year old girl with a knack for getting into trouble. 
• Marilla Cuthbert- A strict but loving old woman, Marilla and her brother adopt Anne. Marilla sets about bringing Anne up properly.
• Mathew Cuthbert- Sweet, shy Mathew leaves Anne's bringing up to Marilla, but can't help wanting to spoil her. Mathew in is quiet ways is Marilla's opposite and together they make a wonderful team.
• Rachel Lynde- A very outspoken but kind old woman. I hated her at first but then you get to know her more as the book progresses and come to like her more. Rachel is that person who manages to get all of her work done, volunteer to lead groups or do more work, and some how still have time to be in everyone else's business. 
• Diana Berry- Diana is a sweet, kind girl who has been brought up properly since her birth and because of it has a lack of imagination. That being said she brings out a different side of Anne and mellows her out. She also loves to read. 

Plot!!

So Marilla and Mathew are looking to adopt a young boy to help Mathew around their farm. So they send word by the family of a woman who's going to get a girl of her own. Well, somewhere the wires get crossed and instead of a boy, they get a girl. Marilla wants to send her back at first but Mathew takes a liking to her and convinces Marilla she should stay. So she does and Anne's bringing up begins immediately. Like I said Anne has a knack for trouble and over the six years that this book takes place she gets into a lot of it. She dyes her hair, forgets flour in a cake, flavors a cake with liniment, and breaks her slate over someone's head, to name a few. But she grows up and makes fewer mistakes (although the ones she does make are very memorable). All in all an amazing book.

Review!

I adore this book. ADORE it! Anne is a timeless classic that I will always love. No matter when you read it you can get something from it. It might be a laugh, or proof that everyone makes mistakes and it all turns out alright in the end. Anne is a lighthearted book that is perfect for any moment. I love the plot and the characters and the setting (which is early 1900's Canada (Prince Edward Island) by the way). Everything about this book is amazing. If you haven't read it read it. Honestly I don't know where this book falls because I read it in the second grade and loved it, I read over the years and still loved it so. I think anyone could read and understand it. Read it for yourself, read it to your kids, read it as a class, whatever you want to do, just read it!

Eleven of ten paw prints 💜💜

🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

Happy Reading!

Merlin:)

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Amelia Hello my dears,
It has occurred to me that I have failed as your loyal blogger in two ways.

1. I haven't blogged this summer as much as I planned to, but alas I'm terribly scatterbrained and forgetful. I am terribly sorry for that.
2. I haven't reviewed The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society which is in my opinion doomed to eventually become a classic. It's that amazing. Today I intend to fix that.

The fact that I haven't reviewed Guernsey occurred to me as I was cleaning, which we all know is only appropriate to do between the hours of eleven fifteen and two in the morning. I'm sure plenty of you have heard of Guernsey after all it became a Netflix original a while ago. The movie is actually what inspired me to read the book as horrible as that sounds. But in my defense I didn't know it was a book before I watched it. One of the most interesting, and one of my favorite, things about Guernsey is it's written entirely in letters. What is most likely my favorite thing about Guernsey (other than the characters, the plot, and everything) is the fact that it has it's basis loosely in actual history. Guernsey is a real island in the English Channel that was really was occupied by the German's during WWII. Unfortunately it seems that most of the history of Guernsey during WWII has been swept under a rug, see the Brits were never supposed to stop fighting and never be occupied but Guernsey, being in the Channel, was.

Characters!

• Juliet Ashton- A London author who after WWII is rather unsatisfied with her life. She must go on tour for her book and she (much I like would) dreads it. Juliet is sweet and gentle but also determined and courageous. I absolutely adore her (mind you I adore all of the characters)
• Dawsey Addams- If only there were actual men like Dawsey. He's sweet and kind and wonderful. If he were real, age appropriate, and I knew him I would snatch him up in a heart beat. He writes Juliet about a book and sets the whole story in motion.
• Isola Pribby- Isola is a strange bird. She makes her own gin, is a feminist, and loves Brontë. I love her because of how unique she is. She's also sweet and kind and takes Juliet in so easily.
• Amelia Maugrey- A secretly delightful woman with a tough exterior from loosing people. 
• Eben Ramsey- Local postmaster and a very grandfatherly man. Eben has to be one of the sweetest men in all books, he has this quiet strength that I adore.
• Elizabeth McKenna- The founder of the Society and a strong woman who defends what she believes in, to the end.
• Sydney Stark- Juliet's publisher and oldest friend. He's charming, and sweet, and amazing. 
• Markham V. Reynolds- Ok I lied there are like two characters in the book that I dislike. Mark I hate, for reasons I cannot disclose without spoiling everything. (the other is so insignificant that she's not worth mentioning, in fact I'm not sure she's in the book this review has turned out to be half movie half book but if I do say so myself the producers did a fantastic job with Guernsey)

Plot!

So Juliet lives in London as a writer, but after the war she feels uninspired and unhappy with her life. Then she gets a letter from a man named Dawsey Addams in Guernsey, asking about a book. See he had acquired a copy of one of her books with her address on it. They start exchanging letters and one thing leads to another and Juliet ends up in Guernsey, where she meets and falls in love with the members of the Society. Except for Elizabeth who was sent off island during the war. She so falls in love with them that she decides to write about them. Various things happen, letters are exchanged , people show up, things come out, and we fall in love with the characters. My only advice READ IT!

Review!

I know I probably say this too much, but this has got to be one of the best books of all time. It's probably technically an Adult book just because it doesn't have the hallmarks of a YA book. In historical fiction that's not always a bad thing. That being said a fourteen year old could read it and understand and enjoy it. Guernsey of people trying desperately to figure out life after one of the greatest tragedies of all time and move on from what they lost. With just a little adventure and gentle romance mixed in for fun. I adore it completely. Eleven of ten paw prints! 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

Farewell my friends and may you find Guernsey as wonderful and perfect as I,

Merlin:)

PS: what got me started on Guernsey was I watching the movie and started thinking about the book and how I didn't remember if I had reviewed it or not.

Wilder Girls Rosy Power

Halt! Who goes there! Declare yourself!

Merlin Bookworm!
You may enter!
So this intro is super weird, but fitting with the book. Wilder Girls is a take on the classic Lord of the Flies, but with girls (this seems to be a new thing). Sounds weird right? It is but in a good way. Essentially a horrible disease has hit this island boarding school and now the girls who attend are quarantined there.

Characters!

• Hetty- First of all what kind of name is Hetty? So Hetty is a student at Raxter School for Girls. Her father is in the Navy which is why she attends Raxter. Just like everyone at Raxter she has the Tox. 
• Byatt- Again with the names? How do you even this?? Her dad is also in the navy, and she's best friends with Hetty.
• Reese- Finally, a name I can get behind! She's the groundskeeper's daughter. Reese is that girl who looks and acts tough and everybody is scared of (really she's just a little bit of a softy). She's friends with Hetty and Byatt, but is closer to Byatt.

Plot!

So eighteen months ago The Tox struck Raxter. What the Tox is no one really knows, but it is a disease I find fascinating. I should probably tell ya'll (again) that I'm a huge nerd, especially when it comes to science so bear with me. The Tox enters the bodies of young girls and changes the DNA. It literally alters the DNA and tries to make it better. From what can tell it's activated by hormones, presumably estrogen, or at least controlled by them. Men can contract the disease but it proves fatal and painfully so. Because no one knows what causes the Tox or if it's contagious or how it spreads, Raxter has been quarantined since the first case. The Navy sends food and supplies but only certain girls, "The Boat Shift", are allowed to go retrieve them. Every girl wants to be a Boat Shift girl. Not the point. Anyway, one day Byatt goes missing, ad Hetty  and Reese have to find her.

Review!

I liked Wilder Girls. Not my fav, but still. I love takes off classics so that's great. I'm honestly not a horror person, and this book is 🎶creepy🎶. I love the Si-Fi/dystopian thing though so it balances. I did feel like something was missing, I'm just not sure what. Overall 6/10 paw prints 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

DISMISSED! 

Merlin:)

PS I'm sorry I've been so bad about updating. I mean to update but I never do. I'm a horrible person.

Lost Roses Martha Hall Kelly

Привет
First,  may I just say that while I read this I got all the music from Anastasia stuck in my head. This book made me think of Anastasia so much. I'm not sure how many of you are history nerds like me but this is historical fiction. Lost Roses is set in 1910's New York and Russia. Some of the fabulous characters are Russian aristocracy. For those of you who don't know/care/remember, this is a problem because 1910's Russia was home to the Russian Revolution. During the Russian Revolutions the Bolsheviks and other revolutionaries killed basically all of the aristocracy left in Russia. This story is told by three wonderful (sorta) and unique women: Eliza a wealthy New York socialite, Sofya a Russian aristocrat, and Varinka a Russian peasant.

Characters!

• Eliza Ferriday- Our socialite with a big heart. Eliza has known and been friends with Sofya for years and considers her one of her best friends. She loves her friends and family to the ends of the Earth. That being said, she's not perfect. Eliza goes through a lot (she doesn't always react well), and comes out better for it.
• Sofya Afonovich- Our Russian aristocrat, who also happens to be a distant cousin of the tsar. 1910's Russia was not a good place for aristocracy. She's married to Afon, a soldier in the Russian army (1910's Russia was not a good place for the military either), and they have a wonderful son Maxwell. Due to revolution, Sofya also goes through alot. As you can see this is not a happy book.
• Luba- Sofya's much younger sister, and brilliant mind. I really identify with Luba. She loves learning new things and reading. Her step-mother isn't a fan. Once again goes through a lot.
• Varinka- Our final POV and Russian peasant, she lives in the village that Sofya's family has a house in. There's a guy who lives with her and her mamka, who is a revolutionary. He is also a horrible, HORRIBLE, person. I personally hate him.

There are so many more amazing characters, but I don't have the time or will power to go through all of them without spoiling things.

Background!

So because this is historical fiction, I think you need to understand the time period and what's happening in it. This particular period is very complicated. Russian history in general is very complicated. It involves vikings (sorta) and the Mongols. Russia also remained backwards for along time. I'm sure most of you have at least heard of the Age of Enlightenment, the American Revolution, the French Revolution, World War I (WWI), and the Russian Revolution. Now you're probably wondering how some of these events are related to this particular era, like I said complicated. Now I'm going to be really nerdy. I'll try to be brief, but I make no promises. The Age of Enlightenment was a period of time when people started to think differently. Catherine the Great was in power at the time, and she made her capital and palace a mini Paris. She spoke French, made ballet popular, and wrote letters to French thinkers. She also slightly reformed Russia. Then the American Revolution happened as a result of the Age of Enlightenment. The American Revolution prompted the French Revolution which prompted Russia to close it's self off to the rest of the world and throw out all things enlightenment. This caused problems including serfdom remaining and a failure to modernize. Failure to modernize led to losses in several wars, and economic issues. Then WWI happened. Most Russians weren't really happy with the idea after losses in other wars. Germany to Austria-Hungary that they had their back if they (A-U) declared war on Serbia, and Russia promised Serbia the same. So WWI began, and Russians hated it. WWI had many repercussions for Russia including the collapse of it's economy. This combined with internal issues sparked the revolution. In 1917 the Revolution forced Russia to drop out of WWI. The Revolution was a general mess. No one was sure what anybody else was doing which led to a lot of death. The main group of Bolsheviks in the capital had it together but other groups acted more on there own and seized property from aristocracy, and some even went as far as brutally murdering even the kinder aristocrats. Ok really long nerdy ramble over, sorry.

Plot!

So Eliza and Sofya met in 1912 at school and Eliza invited her and Luba to join her in Paris. In 1914 the pair are still fast friends and Sofya, along with her family, is staying with Eliza and her family in New York City. In New York Sofya gives birth to her son, Maxwell. Unfortunately they have to go back to Russia. At this point Russia is on the brink of revolution (in fact there was a minor revolution in 1914) but not quite there yet. Fast forward to 1916 and the revolution is about to start and Sofya and her family are forced out of St. Petersburg, starting her own personal hell. At the same time, in New York, Eliza's personal hell is just getting started (for completely separate reasons). Varinka's life has sucked for a while now. She's poor, and has Taras living with her. Taras is the HORRIBLE guy I mentioned earlier. I'm not even touching the stuff he does (it borders on and quiet possibly is sexual assault). Varinka plays a role in making Sofya's life suck. So two of three main characters end up in Paris. Lots of shenanigans occur. The ending is bittersweet, but ultimately more on the happy end of the scale.

Review!

First I need to apologize for rambling about Russian history. I'm a nerd but y'all knew that already. I really enjoyed this book. I have a deep love for historical fiction, particularly accurate historical fiction. This book is shockingly accurate. Martha Hall Kelly actually went to Paris and Russia to research this book. And most of her characters were or are based on real people. Given that the setting is all real places and the amount of research put into the setting is so rich you feel like you're there. I love this book. It's definitely one of my top five favorite historical fiction books of all time. If you like historical fiction you should read it, it's fantastic. Ten of ten Paw prints🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

Пока,

Merlin:)

Sorcery of Thorns Margaret Rogerson

Are you an orphan who wants adventure? See your Great Librarian today!
In this world you have libraries and Great Libraries. Great Libraries house grimoires, books that let sorcerers use magic/house spells for those of you new to the fantasy genre, particularly high fantasy. Welcome! We're nerdier than you thought. Anyway to do magic sorcerers have to make a deal with a demon and so become evil. Or so commonly thought.

Characters! (low-key one of my favorite parts)

• Elisabeth- She grew up in a Great Library, which is something that never happens. Apprentices are taken in at thirteen. She's spunky, determined, and doesn't take crap from much or anyone, This is set in a time where women are considered weak and Elisabeth destroys that stereotype.
• Nathaniel Thorn- Sorcerer! He's a necromancer of House Thorn. Necromancers are generally regarded as the most evil and Nathaniel seems to go with this and pushes people away. He's really a softy and relies on his demon like father. I want to give him a hug, a big cup of coco, and a good book. 
• Silas-Nathaniel's demon. I love him so much. He also appears as a cat.

Plot!

So Elisabeth grew up in a Great Library and knows all about magic and how it makes you evil. Then she meets Nathaniel for the first time, and nothing really changes. But then, the Library gets sabotaged and she sorta gets blamed. Re-enter Nathaniel tasked with taking Elisabeth to the capital, where they discover a plot much bigger and nefarious than they could imagine.They have to stop it and then shenanigans.

Review!

So I was given this book and told I HAD to read it, that it was amazing. Well, ST (who works at my local bookstore), was right it's SO good.  I love it! It's got this really cool Beauty and the Beast feel to it. As one one who loves a good faerietale re-telling its great. I love the rules of magic and regulations for Librarians. Not to mention Silas. One of my favorite character tropes is a character who's supposed to be really tough is really sweet. Another one of my favorites is a sweet character who has a dark side. You get both of them with Silas. The characters are amazing and well rounded. And the world is so rich. I read this on a road trip and I didn't look up from it the whole time except to make a comment about forgetting how people used to think reading too much could make you cray. Honestly this is an amazing book that everyone in to fantasy should read. Ten of ten paw prints. 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾 

Chao, 

Merlin:)

Side note: This comes to you from my bed where I'm celebrating final posting a review. First there just wasn't time for me to post them and then I didn't. I have like five or six written out to type up and post but I haven't yet. Oh well. I'll get there eventually. Sorry it's been so long. I'll try to be better about it.

Death Prefers Blondes Caleb Roehrig

Kickboxing. Thieving. Acrobatic. Drag Queens.
Yes that really is my opener, but that really describes my feelings about this book. I love it. You have to admit you were intrigued by it. Which generally describes how I felt reading "A rebel heiress must solve a family mystery with the help of jewel-thieving drag queens.". I mean even the name is intriguing, Death Prefers Blondes. It lives up to the expectations I placed.

CHARACTERS!!

Oh my god the characters are amazing and I love them all so much (well the main non villain characters, the villain is a total d-bag)

• Margo Manning/Miss Anthropy- Teenage socialite in LA by day kickboxing, thieving, acrobatic, pseudo-drag queen by night Margo is a truly amazing character. A lot of rich kids steal stuff but Margo takes it to a whole new level. Ever loyal to her friends Margo will do almost anything to protect them.
• Axel Moreau/Liesl Von Tramp- A former socialite drag queen who's wealth and money were taken away by the actions of his father and best friend to Margo. He works as part of Margo's crew to pay for his and his families life in LA after his father lost all their money.
• Leif Dalby/Electra Shoxx- A ballet student/drag queen who steals to stay in school.
• Davon Stokes/Dior Galore- By far the most flamboyant and open of the drag queens, Davon/Dior's actual job is being a drag queen. He has a great but slightly tragic backstory that I'm not going to reveal.
• Joaquin Moreau/Anita Stiffwon- The younger brother of Axel and newest member of the crew. Joaquin... Well he goes through a lot proving himself but you get to find that out for yourselves.

So there are a lot more characters as in every novel but these are the main ones that come in early, so there you go.

PLOT!

So the basic idea goes as follows, Margo and her team of kickdonkey drag queen steal ridiculously valuable items from basically everywhere. Then they get a job that lands them in a bit more trouble. To be a little more revealing, Margo and the crew steal pantings, jewelry, and artifacts from basically anywhere. Margo being heir apparent to the Manning empire has access to some amazing tech that they regularly use. Then for the sheer value and a slight personal grudge, the crew breaks into what is practically a castle and steals, stolen, czarist jewelry from a guy who turns out to be in with the Russian Mob. oops. You also have other factors going on like Margo's dad's mystery illness and eventual death. Lot's of complications basically. It's great.

REVIEW!

I love this book! I was intrigued by the title and the summary raised my expectations but the book totally blew them away. I'm in desperate need of a sequel to this book. It doesn't end on a cliff hanger per se but I need to know what happens next. This was honestly the best action/comedy I've read in a while and so many people would enjoy it. It kinda gave me One of Us is Lying feels which is also an amazing book.  Anyone who enjoys a good action adventure comedy novel should read this. Its great. Be ware of drag queens,

Merlin:)

Cat-Woman: Soul Stealer by Sarah J Maas

*Seductively whispers* Hello.
So I got Cat-Woman for Christmas, not because I'm into DC comics and know anything about Cat-Woman or her backstory but because its written by one of my favorite authors, Sarah J. Mass. Sarah J. Mass is better know for the A Court of Thorns and Throne of Glass series, which are AMAZING and currently on my TBR (To Be Reviewed) list. Cat-Woman holds up to my expectations of her in every regard.

Characters

• Catwoman/Selina Kyle- When the book starts Selina is living in the slums of Gotham and fighting in underground street fights, to support herself and her little sister with Cystic Fibrosis. Later Selina has become Catwoman, antihero extraordinaire of Gotham working with Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. And infuriating Bat-Wing in the process.
• Luke Fox/Bat-Wing- Close friends with Bruce Wayne and many other influential families in Gotham former Marine Luke Fox is secretly on of Gotham's greatest protectors, Bat-Wing. When Catwoman shows up and wants to play it falls on him to find out what she wants and stop her in time.
• Maggie Kyle- Before various things happen, all of which involve drama, Selina Kyle was the sister to Maggie. Maggie has Cystic Fibrosis, and for those of you who don't know what that is. Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic condition where you have excess Sodium and your body produces thick mucus that fills your lungs and can block you pancreas. Generally when we think about CF we think lungs. People with CF have chronic respiratory infections and can have problems gaining weight. CF is an incurable disorder that thanks to modern medicine is not as immediately fatal as it once was. People have known about CF for a long time but haven't always known what caused it or what exactly it was. It has been called failure to thrive, one early doctor even noted that if you kiss a baby's forehead and it tastes of salt the baby will not live long. Now in the US life expectancy for most CF patients is ~30 years. Unfortunately for Maggie, she's not so lucky.

So there are a lot more characters but I feel like talking about them would give too much away.

Plot!

So Selina Kyle is a member of the Leopards, a notorious girl gang who work and fight for Falcone. She only does this to take care of her sister. Then stuff happens and Selina meets Talia al Ghul who offers her a deal. Selina's past will be forgotten if she goes with Talia to her school. Selina agrees with the condition that Maggie be put into a good home after she leaves. A couple years later Selina reappears in Gotham as Holly Vanderhees, a wealthy socialite. In reality Catwoman has come to Gotham on a mission she does not intend to give up on any time soon. While causing general mayhem in Gotham Selina/Holly/Catwoman makes friends with Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, and Luke Fox. In Gotham where almost everyone lives a double life Selina is toeing a dangerous line with Luke/Bat-Wing. He has to figure out what the trio of dastardly women are doing and why and stop them before Batman comes back. Can he do it?

Review!

I really enjoyed this book. I'm not really a DC person and I know like zilch about DC superheroes so I had no background going into this, at all. I fell in love with Selina as a character and how much she cared about her sister. I loved the fact that Selina didn't give up that love for her sister as she became Catwoman, if anything she held it even closer. Most of the time you have female superheroes who are all "I'm so tough I don't need anybody" But Selina acknowledges her love for Maggie even after she becomes Catwoman. I just love that. I say definitely YA, swearing is pretty common, but you should definitely read it. 10/10 paw prints 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾 I'll always love me some Mass.

Farewell my bibliophiles,

Merlin:)

Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco

Salut!
So if you follow my bookstagram you know I read this one a while ago, but being the horrible person I am I haven't reviewed it until now. Yikes! So the greeting is in Romanian as this book is set in Transylvania which is now a region of Romania. When we last saw them Audrey Rose and Thomas were on their way to school in Transylvania. This school happens to be in the infamous Prince Dracula's castle. Of course on the way our dear friends run into dead bodies and dodge the tension between them, a little.

Characters!

• Audrey Rose- We all know Audrey Rose. I'm assuming we all love Audrey Rose. She's still the same spunky medicine loving improper lady she was in the first book, only now she's breaking even more stereotypes at a medical school in Transylvania.
• Thomas- Ah Thomas.  I love him soo much. 😍😍 He's great. Still charming, and arrogant, and kinda nerdy. He cares so much about Audrey Rose and his family it's great.
• Daciana Cresswell- So Daci was vaguely mentioned in the first book as Thomas's sister. She plays a role in this book. Not a huge roll but a role that involves this plot twist that's great. Actually two amazing plot twists.
• Ileana- She's Audrey Rose's maid at the school. So she plays a fairly significant role.
• Anastasia- She's the headmaster's ward. She and Audrey Rose become friends because other than the staff, they are the only girls at the school.

Plot!

So at the end of Stalking Jack the Ripper, Audrey Rose and Thomas are a) sorta together b) headed to Bran castle to attend Academy of Forensic Medicine and Science. On the train ride to Transylvania the pair hears rumors of Prince Dracula has returned. Naturally neither of the scientific pair want to believe in vampires, or as Thomas explains strigoi. Then one of the passengers ends up killed the same way as you would kill a strigoi. Superstition and mystery shroud Audrey Rose and Thomas's time at Academy of Forensic Medicine and Science, as they secretly investigate the rumors of Prince Dracula's return.

Review!

I adore this book. Normally sequels don't measure up to the first book, but this one does. Kerri's amazing writing and characters prevail. The imagery is amazing. I felt as though I was in Transylvania in drafty old creepy Bran Castle. I still love

• Historical Fiction
• Mystery
• Amazing characters

So this is all really amazing. Thomas is definitely still one of my top fictional crushes, ever. The plot was amazing. I thought I knew where it was going, but NOOOO. I thought I knew who Dracula was but no. Why this was happening, but no. Which is awesome. I don't want to know how things are going to end before the end. It's amazing. Trust me. Read it.

Rating!

I love this book. Definitely YA and the innuendos in the first book are present in this one too. This one is has slightly more gore than the first but it's not that graphic. Being Victorian Era they don't swear a lot. I love it 10/10 paw prints🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾 

Ramas bun,

Merlin:)

The Queen's Rising by: Rebecca Ross

Bonjour mes chéris,
Why the French Merlin? Well you see the book I'm reviewing today isn't set in France or this world at all but it still has a French feel to it so I figured I might as well set the mood for this review. As you can tell from the title this is about the book The Queen's Rising by Rebecca Ross. I honestly can't believe I let this sit in my drafts for so long. I fell in love with it and the characters from the beginning and yet this has been sitting here for like a year waiting to be published. Opps... Oh well, better late than never.

Characters!!

• Brienna- She's my fav. So in this world you have two kingdoms, Valenia and Maevana, and Brienna hold citizenship in both, which is quiet unusual. At the age of ten she begins to study at Magnalia, as a passion of Art but over time switches to History. 
• Cartier- He's Brienna's teacher of knowledge. There's soo much more to him, and I love him dearly but that would give away the story.

There are many many more characters, but they all have rolls later in the story that I think should reveal themselves in the story so I shall say no more.

Plot!

At age ten Brienna begins study at Magnalia, a school where young girls study for seven years to passion. After they passion, these girls are chosen by a patron and begin a career. Brienna is unusual though in that she studies all of the passions before settling on History. On her seventeenth solstice, Brienna is set to passion and be chosen by a patron. Only, she isn't chosen. All the patrons decide she is not what they want. So several months later, when a disgraced Valenian lord offers her patonage, she takes. Which ends up taking her to Maevana and revealing a plot to overthrow the king. It also reveals somethings about her past (which that and her resulting actions are what make her my fav). 

Review!!

When I picked up this book I wasn't really sure if I was going to love it but it sounded interesting. I ended up loving the world, the story, and the characters. The world is so rich and wonderful. I wish I could go, even if there is a revolution going on. The characters are realistic and flawed which makes them more perfect. This was honestly amazing and I can't wait for the sequel (it comes out March 5). Ten of Ten paw prints. 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

Happy reading!

Merlin:)

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

Good day my dears,

So I had been wanting to read this book for a while and was super excited about reading it. Well Kerri Maniscalco did not disappoint. She crafted a wonderfully rich, historically accurate world that sucks you in and makes you never want to leave. Also I was so shook when I read the ending. I thought I knew where it was going but well no, no no. It got crazier.

Characters!!

Audrey Rose Wadsworth- So this book is set in Victorian-era London in which women had very few rights and very little freedom. Audrey Rose resents this and is very modern, even by today's standards. She a young lady of polite society is interested in forensic medicine. So she apprentices with her uncle behind her father's back.

Thomas Cresswell- *dreamy sigh* He's my new fictional crush. I love and adore him. He's perfect. Smart, dreamy, a gentleman. However he does have flaws including being an arrogant donkey. Either way he also apprentices with Audrey Rose's uncle.

Audrey Rose's Father- Lord Wadsworth. He's just a little crazy.

Nathaniel Wadsworth- Audrey Rose's brother. He's vaguely supportive of Audrey Rose. 

Johnathan Wadsworth- Audrey Rose's uncle with whom she and Thomas apprentice. He's a scientist who specializes in the forensic sciences.

Jack the Ripper- Jack the Ripper is a famous serial killer who terrorized Whitechapel in London for anywhere from two years to three months. And yes I realize that there is a big time difference there, most historians believe that Jack only terrorized Whitechapel for approximately three months. If we go with most historians view, which I am, then Jack only killed five people. Yes I get that killing five people is a good idea but its been over a century and we still talk about the Ripper. Other accounts hold him responsible for eleven murders taking place over about two years. All of Jack's victims were working women *cough*. No one ever caught Jack and the reasons behind all of his murders remain unknown to this day. Which is tbh the most fascinating part of his story because serial killers like Jack typically don't stop killing unless they are a) made to as in caught or b) die. So what exactly happened to Jack? That question opens the door to historical fiction like this book and potentially many more.

Plot!

Ok so Audrey Rose Wadsworth is a young lady of high society in the Victorian Era. This effectively means that all she's supposed to do is gain some basic knowledge, gossip, learn to manage a household, be proficient in lady-like crafts, shop, and marry well. The only bits of this that Audrey Rose is interested in are shopping (sometimes), learning, and knowing some about managing a household. And when I say learning, I mean medicine which is largely considered inappropriate for women, and her father is extremely against her having anything to do with medicine or her uncle who's teaching her, so she's studying in secret, as a boy. While doing this Audrey Rose encounters Thomas Cresswell another one of her uncle's students. Her uncle is a well known forensic scientist and so is consulted on the murders done by the infamous Jack the Ripper, who at the time is called The Leather Apron. Given that this is a mystery and this is not at all mysterious, shenanigans ensue and Audrey Rose and Thomas end up stalking Jack the Ripper.

Review!

I absolutely adore this book! First of all Jack the Ripper fascinates me, as do most serial killers but Jack in particular. Second, Thomas is amazing. He's cocky and arrogant and yet a gentleman. I love him. Third, this book combines three of my favorite things 

1. historical fiction 
2. mystery 
3. a strong female lead character 

So yes I love this book. Victorian London is painted in such vivid color that you feel like you're there. You can feel the chaos and fear surrounding the people of London but the calm in Audrey Rose's uncle's lab. The writing is fantastic and whereas not long ago I had never heard of Kerri Maniscalco she is now one of my favorite authors. Her characters are realistic and her plots are full of twists. I love when authors write this story where you think "Oh I know where this is going." and then "boom wow what just happened?". I despise when you can pick out the end of a mystery from the beginning but when you think you know where it's going and then it goes in a completely different direction is amazing and I think it shows just how awesome the author is. I think that everyone who enjoys a good mystery or historical fiction would enjoy this book. That being said this book centers around a serial killer who is famous for mutilating his victims and a girl who performs autopsies in her spare time so yeah it can be a little graphic. Not like hard core gore and blood like in a lot of movies but you get some descriptions of the injuries and autopsies, just as a heads up. There are also some innuendos which are called out, not like really bad innuendos but they still exist. So all in all its a really good YA book and I think a lot of people would enjoy it. Ten of Ten paw prints🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

Happy reading!

Merlin:)

Countdown to Christmas! One Day Left! It's Christmas Eve! The Legend of Holly Claus by Brittney Ryan

khanIt's Christmas Eve!!!!
So this particular story is sadly not well heard of. I picked it up in my local library a while ago and since then I've read it several times falling in love with the story all over again every time. The Legend of Holly Claus is a fantastic Christmas fairy tale. Nicholas Claus, Santa, and Viviana Claus rule over the land of Forever home of the Immortals as benevolent King and Queen. And then one day they have Holly.

• Holly- Nicholas and Viviana's beloved daughter who posses the most compassionate heart ever born, which was promptly frozen by a villain. Unfortunately said freezing of Holly's heart puts a curse on the land of Forever, oops. She watches the mortal world and one day decides to go to the mortal world to help.
• Nicholas- Santa! He loves his wife and daughter and would do anything to protect them. He also loves the people of the Land of Forever but not nearly as much.
• Viviana- Mrs. Claus and the Queen of the Land of Forever. She cares about Holly so much and wants the best for her. 
• Sofya- Some kind of Russian fortune teller/wise woman who becomes Holly's godmother and teacher. She teaches Holly everything, including somethings that Nicholas would rather her not know.
• Tundra- One of my absolute favorite characters. He'a a wolf and Holly's protector.
• Lexi- A mischievous fox and one of Holly's best friend. 
• Euphemia- Isn't that just a great name, especially for an owl. Euphemia wants to be good owl but she just can's seem to get it right.
• Empy- The most adorable little penguin who follows Holly wherever she goes.
• Herrikhan- DUN DUN DUHHH! Herrikhan is you guessed it the villain. Trapped where even the ground sweats, he hears of a way to end his imprisonment. He must possess the purest most compassionate heart to ever exist, a la Holly, cue heart freezing curse,
• Christopher- A ten year old boy who asks Santa what he wants for Christmas in his letter.
• Mr. Carroll- the owner of a toy store in New York who seems to have lost some of his Christmas spirit.

So in the North Pole, sort of, there exists The Land of Forever home of the Immortals, where Nicholas and Viviana Claus rule. Every year Nicholas gets letter from hundreds of children tell him, Santa, what they want for Christmas. This year he gets an unusual letter from a boy. This boy, who is poor, says he has everything he wants and asks Santa what he wants for Christmas. This allows Nicholas and Vii. And so Nicholas and Viviana have a little girl named Holly. Elsewhere, Odyl, Herrikhan is plotting how to get out of his imprisonment. He finds out that the only way to break the spell holding him there is to posses the purest most compassionate heart ever born, which just happens to belong to baby Holly. So being the evil son of a nutcracker he is Herrikahn casts a curse on Holly freezing her heart. This has the side effect of keep everyone in the Land of Forever and everyone out as well, along with the fact that if Holly gets to warm her heart will melt and she will die. So Holly grows up loved and protected by her parents, but curious about the outside world where she can't go. Holly also feels like she doesn't belong in the land of forever because she did not earn it but was simply born to it. One day Holly decides to leave the Land of Forever and go to the human world to help and earn her place in the Land of Forever and break the curse. Of course her loyal friends Lexi, Tundra, Euphemia, and Empy go with her. In the human world they find many who need help and work at a toy store owned by Mr. Carroll. Holly has to break her curse before winter ends or she will die. Oh and because Holly has left the Land of Forever Herrikahn has his opportunity to get his hands on her.

I think that everyone should read this book at least once. A richly crafted world of fantasy and magic draws you in and the lovable characters steal your heart, and could thaw a frozen one. Holly is compassionate to a fault but not a goody-two-shoes. She genuinely cares about things and is the perfect role model for anyone. I want to be so many characters but Holly is definitely at the top of my I want to be you list. Ten of Ten paw prints 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

Merry Christmas!

Merlin:)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

IT ALL ENDS 9. 15. 11.
So that's not true because Harry will NEVER end, but I can remember seeing those posters everywhere and being excited to see it. So this is the last book in the series, I will however be reviewing The Cursed Child for two reasons a) to laugh and b) it is a Harry book even if I refuse to call it canon. Anywho, character time.

• The Carrows- Alecto and Amicus. Death-eaters but thats all I can say.
• Presenting for the first time ever MRS. FLEUR WEASLEY- It's Fleur but she married Bill so she's a Weasley and I felt like she needed a proper introduction.

So there are several other characters you meet in this book, like Andromeda and Ted, but they aren't major characters even though I love them to death. 

Sum up time! So... wait CA don't read this because I have to slightly spoil the previous book to sum up this one. So Voldy has horcruxes and Harry has to destroy them to defeat Voldy once and for all. This leads to a grand adventure and several slight misadventures. Then it all wraps up in what at the time was a fantastic ending but now its more eh. I'd explain it if I could without spoiling it and I probably will in a later spoiler filled review.

So I love this book so much and to see the growth that all the characters have had throughout the books lead up to this book is amazing. Throughout the series you see the characters go from frightened, skeptical, scrawny first years to brave, less skeptical, teens who know what has to happen and are will to do what it takes to make it happen, and this transformation is amazing. Seeing everything come together end the end is amazing even if this is in my opinion the saddest book of the series. Yes at this point the ending is a little bit of a let down but honestly I'm okay with it because its fitting. So ten of ten paw-prints 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

May your love of book, reading, and Harry never end

Always,

Merlin:)

Heart of Thorns by Bree Barton

Hello my dears,
Tis I your wonderful blogger. Yes I did just say tis, how medieval of me. It just seems to fit with the book I'm going to talk about today. A medieval book you say? Why, yes a medieval fantasy book.Its called Heart of Thorns by: Bree Barton. This book takes place in a world not unlike our own in the medieval period. Witch hunts, fear, wanting magic yet fearing it at the same time, not to mention that the only people suspected of magic were women. So according to my friends, MMP and CA, tell me that this book sounds just like every book I ever read. Sadly that seems to be true, the summary sounds the same but then the story is original. They don't see the details just the bare bones of the story, magic, female character that has to save the people, sounds familiar right? Well that would be what I read most of the time. Because of these friends I have decided to branch out a little, which you'll see in upcoming reviews. However, this book fits my typical slot.
Character time!!
Mia Rose: So in this world only women can have magic right, and its virtually undetectable until its used so every girl or woman is suspected of having this magic. Mia's mother was killed by a Gwyrach, a half-girl half-god or demon as some people think they would be the ones with magic, and now all she wants is revenge. But whoops, turns out she's a Gwyrach herself.
Crown Prince Quin: There's really not that much I can say about him other than he's obviously the crown prince its in his name. He's pretty cool when you get into the book. I really want to tell you more but I can't without spoiling and part of it will fall under plot anyway.
Angie Rose: She is Mia's sister and that's about all I can say about her without spoilers.
Plot! Plot! Plot! Plot! Plot! Plot!
So in this world only women have magic and are considered half-girl half-gods and demons. In the particular kingdom that Mia lives in Gwyraches are considered demons and there is a special group called the Hunters who exist for the sole purpose of hunting the Gwyrach which happens to be headed by Mia's father. The reason he heads the Hunter's is because his loving wife and mother of his children was murdered by a Gwyrach years before. Mia herself has trained to become a hunter to avenge her mother, but now her father has other plans. She is to marry Crown Prince Quin and eventually become queen. So then things happen lots of things that result in Mia's discovery that she is a Gwyrach which means her mother probably was too. Whoops. *cue adventure to discover her past*
So I really enjoyed this book. It contained all the things that seem to be my stereotype. That's not to say its not good. No no no. It was really good. Not necessarily my favorite book ever no that honor still goes to Harry Potter. I had a lot of fun reading this book. I mean, who doesn't love a good fantasy, magical book right? I think if you're over thirteen years old you would enjoy this book. Assuming you're into fantasy, that is. I give it nine paw prints and a whisker. 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾⚞
Bis später,
Merlin:)