Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon

♥♥♥♥

I’m not even sorry this book took me almost 2 years to finish, I started it right after reading the first book, and with it being such a bulky book, I would gladly put it down to read something else. But in the last two months, I made a serious point of trying to finish it.

This one was almost as good as Outlander, we follow Jamie and Claire to France, where they have new challenges to try and stop the battle at Culloden. New and old foes battle it out, new and old friends to help them on their journey. I have to be honest that there was a lot of parts that dragged on for pages, and that’s probably the reason why it took me so long to get into the story again.

I laughed, cried, and heaved a sigh of relief. This series is going to be one of my favourites if I can just finish the next books in the series.

There will probably be a lot of readers that will stone me for this, but it does help that we have a wonderful series that gives faces to characters. There will still be people who say they would rather just watch the series, just remember dear ones, there are some major developments that the series does not show.

Here’s to finding long-running book series that you can spend your non-existent time to try and catch up. 

What Have we Done – JT Lawrence

♥♥♥♥♥ 

In tomorrow's world where the edges blur between addictive virtual reality and real life, would you hurt your daughter if it was the only way to set her free?

Lawrence strikes again in this action pack final book in the When Tomorrow Calls series. She grabs you from the first page and drags you on a virtual rollercoaster ride until the last full stop.

We meet up with beloved characters with a couple of new characters that will draw you into this epic tale of what can happen in the future. This thrilling heart racing Dystopian-thriller makes you sit back and think and realise what Lawrence has concocted isn’t such a far-fetched idea.

Reaching the end of the story I found myself shocked and cursing Lawrence, the reveal, in the end, blew my mind. The way Lawrence picks up all the loose threads from all the books and brings them all together to weave this intricate story is why I love reading her books. This is exactly what I will always expect from Lawrence. The writing as always is beautiful, and she has now proven that she can pick any genre and I will gladly follow along, well maybe I will draw the line at Horror, please don't write horror. 

For this reader who usually stays away from thrillers, I can guarantee you, this book will keep even the technophobes on their toes or give them new fears of technology, either way, this was a fast-paced read. 

Click for reviews of Why You Were Taken and How We Found You

To Conquer a Scot - Tamara Gill

♥♥♥

I know Diana Gabaldon didn’t invent these types of stories, but all I could think while reading this was copycat! While the story of getting transported back into time, and finding yourself a Highlander is intriguing and usually works for me, this book didn’t.

There were so many different things that just happened it felt like the author just threw some of it in to make a full-length novel. There was also a lot of continuity problems, which could’ve been picked up by the Beta readers. Not to mention the ending felt very rushed.

The characters didn’t really speak to me, in fact, our main character Abby was irritating. Sure the laird was one of those tall, broody types, but their chemistry didn’t really work for me.

Needless to say, I won’t be reading the rest of this series.

*I received a copy from NetGalley to review*

Eliza and Her Monsters - Francesca Zappia

♥♥♥♥ ½

If you are like me and love writing fanfiction, and spending hours on the internet speculating about your favourite authors latest books or the latest episode of your favourite television show, this is the one for you. This is the first book of Zappia that I’m reading, and based on this, she will become one of my auto-buys.

Scott Westerfeld’s Afterworlds meets Nimona in this novel about art, fandom, and finding the courage to be yourself. Features illustrations by the author throughout. Perfect for readers of Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl. In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, weird, smart and friendless. Online, Eliza is LadyConstellation, the anonymous creator of a popular webcomic called Monstrous Sea. With millions of followers and fans throughout the world, Eliza’s persona is popular. Eliza can’t imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves her digital community. Then Wallace Warland transfers to her school, and Eliza begins to wonder if a life offline might be worthwhile.

Zappia deals with some very real subjects while blowing life into Eliza’s story, Monstrous Sea, besides the relatability for people who live their lives on the internet, Eliza deals with some issues that affect most people in today's life. The way Zappia introduces these characters to you and makes you fall in love with them makes the journey of seeing them grow worth every heart-clenching moment.

She brought in the fact that internet friends are as important as real friends, with that fine line of balance between the two worlds, it made this book come to life and you know the author ‘gets’ how it feels to be a part of such a community.

I loved the art throughout the book, and wouldn’t have minded if Monstrous Sea was a real comic.

Well done Francesca on this book that will probably be one of my favourites for the year.