Teaser Tuesday: Nemesis by Anna Banks

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Ambrosia of The Purple Booker.
To play along just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Nemesis by Anna Banks.

Nemesis –
Feiwel & Friends

But with new problems come new solutions, and Tarik is not interested in clinging to custom if it means losing his people. Some traditions are to be respected—but so is common sense.
— Chapter 36

He dares not ask, for no matter what her answer, he will hear only the truth. And some truths he cannot bear the weight of. Only recently did he learn this about himself.
— Chapter 50

This book had me giggling for a completely unintentional reason: one of the gifted people is called Lingots, which has to do with hearing the truth but also being able to speak and understand any language … and funnily enough my language learning app rewards you in a currency called Lingots. I’m quite sure it’s unrelated but a nice detail anyway.
Only because someone is able to hear if they are being lied to obviously doesn’t mean they know the answer to everything. This becomes ever more clear when the two main characters of this duology … let’s call it meet. Tarik is a Lingot and Sepora has way too many secrets to hide, including her very existence. And apparently hiding in plain sight actually works. For a while at least.
I had a lot of fun reading about these two dancing around each other and learning to navigate personal and political matters (because obviously while falling in love you also must be able to run/save a nation/the future of your continent). I realised just now that most of my bookmarks happen to be in Tarik’s chapters. Maybe because the outside perspective of his third-person narration lends itself better to being quotable than Sepora’s first-person point of view. That or I’m toast, which is also a good explanation. Anyway, these perspective switches are a neat narrative method. It might have been confusing to switch points of view within characters as well, but sometimes that could have added another layer of mystique or insight. I would have loved to really have Tarik’s perspective or a more external view on Sepora, but I understand why this might have seemed unfeasible.
The book ends on a mean cliffhanger but luckily the second book is already out so that torture can be avoided.

Would you like to be able to immediately know if what you hear is the truth? I think this can be a real burden while at the same time also be quite useful for various reasons. Share your thoughts and teasers in the comments!

Teaser Tuesday: Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Ambrosia of The Purple Booker.
To play along just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones.

Wintersong – Titan Books

“But remember, Elisabeth, our childish games are behind us now.” Those wolf’s eyes glittered. “When I play, I play for keeps.”
— Chapter 6

But hope … hope was stubborn. Like a weed it returned, even after I had plucked it away again and again.
— Chapter 30

Happy Spring Equinox/first day of spring. (And happy birthday to two very important people in my life, although I suspect that if at all only one of them will read this ;)) Winter returned with a vengeance this past weekend to my neck of the woods, I hope you have been faring a little better than this sun and warmth deprived reader. So what could be better fitting than a book with winter in the title?
I was very pleasantly surprised that the setting of this book hit very close to home for me geographically speaking. And linguistically, because the author amusingly adds the odd German phrase here and there and while I usually find this a little tedious if the foreign language is then immediately translated this wasn’t the case here but I imagine that non-natives will be able to discern the meaning. I’m also quietly pleased that I only found one grammatical error and one stylistic oddity among those phrases. I wonder how the exotic phrases were handled in the German translation. But I digress … language nerd.
There is a second book recently published to which I will come eventually. It will be interesting to see if the connection of faery (yes, again) to motives from other mythologies will remain as strong there. Or maybe even stronger for there is a secret to be uncovered and a possible curse to be broken. As well as several other fun elements that I hope to see again and see resolved. It’s very fun to see one’s home depicted as a magical and to English readers also foreign/possibly slightly exotic place. After all, the deep dark German woods are the home to many of the original faery tale creatures. And if after you’ve read this book you feel the urge to read the decisive poem on der Erlkönig by Goethe, I’ll direct you to my favourite translation right next to the original and the literal version here. Only know that our heroine would soundly disagree with this version of him as she comes to know him in quite a different capacity.

Have you ever been surprised by a book being set in what is basically your neighbourhood? I suspect this happens more often to English readers than to Germans reading English books. Share your thoughts and teasers in the comments!

Teaser Tuesday: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Ambrosia of The Purple Booker.
To play along just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black.

The Cruel Prince – Little, Brown
Books for Young Readers

I do not yearn to be their equal.
In my heart, I yearn to best them.
— Chapter 4

“So you accept.”
It’s frightening to have a choice like this in front of me, a choice that changes all future choices.
— Chapter 10

Faerieland may have several kings, queens, and other royalty but it most definitely has one high queen to rule them all and her name is Holly Black. I have always loved Holly’s writing and especially the characters who populate her ever more fantastic stories. And I could not be more excited that after so long she not only returns to Faerie but that we also get two more books with these characters. If you’ve read her other Faerie books, you’re in for a special treat of cameos and other eastereggs.
The usual perspective for stories like this is the human looking in or the fae looking out but with this Holly has mastered the art of having a mortal brought up and more or less fully adapted to the strange tradition and doing everything to remain in, possibly overdoing it and in a way besting the fae at their own games. It’s in my opinion and interesting play on nature vs. nurture and the willingness and ability to adapt, to survive and thrive. And with this cast of characters, it’s really Holly at her best, each with their own motives, schemes, characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses … and the occasional frustrating/endearing blind spot.
I’m fully jumping on the “I need the second book now if not yesterday” waggon. Not because the first book ends on a mean cliffhanger but because I cannot wait to find out how all of these plots continue. It’s a little like leaving a highly competitive chess match right when both players are about to check each other with equal chances of checkmate. Only that this game has more than two players and the rules change whenever you blink.

Readers know that wishes and bargains with the fae are dangerous. Would you feel prepared enough to enter into such an agreement? Share your ideas and teasers in the comments.

Teaser Tuesday: Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Ambrosia of The Purple Booker.
To play along just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson.

Truly Devious – Katherine Tegen Books

Stevie had no fears of the dead. The living, however, sometimes gave her the creeps.
— Chapter 10

It had the feeling of a strange game, and one that filled Stevie with a low, simmering worry.
Games are not fun if you don’t know you’re playing.
— Chapter 13

Book titles are hard. I don’t say this as an excuse for every bad title ever made but from a sympathetic position. What I love about this title is that it so obviously states its intent. And that it works so well on so many levels for this book. I have disliked the analysis of poems and prose ever since my school days because I think that you kill words once you have to pick them apart, but I could easily write a whole essay on the title of this book. Which I won’t do, no worries, I’m just still quite captivated by all the layers.
I might be a little cross with Maureen for writing this before continuing Shades of London (I really hope there is another book coming) but I understand that if something demands to be written it has to take centre stage (and all the other reasons her writing was delayed – those definitely take precedence). Luckily, this prominent spot is quite deserved. Stevie is a very compelling main character and I immensely enjoyed following her on her investigation. I also liked the dual timelines which don’t exactly interact but intersect and inform each other on a very interesting level, you basically get two stories for the price of one and possibly a third overlay.
The nature of a mystery calls for inconsistencies so I’m not calling on them until I’m certain they aren’t intentional. I am very much looking forward to the continuation and how Stevie deals not with one but two discoveries/developments. And I really hope she solves at least the staircase riddle if not the whole thing, which feels very interconnected.

Are you a mystery and/or crime reader? I’m usually avoiding them unless it’s an author I already know and trust. Share your teasers and preferences in the comments.

Teaser Tuesday: Sightwitch by Susan Dennard

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Ambrosia of The Purple Booker.
To play along just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Sightwitch by Susan Dennard.

Sightwitch – Tor Teen

But “there is no such thing as coincidence” and “there is no changing what is meant to be.” So I must accept this.
— Page 85

Paths do not come to you. You have to find them for yourself, and sometimes, you have to carve new ones entirely.
— Page 230

Some authors sound amazing on paper and turn out to be somewhat of a disappointment in the person department, others might not live up to their persona in the writing department … and then there are authors like Susan Dennard who are not only great people but also really, really good authors where you feel that each scene and each word has been weighed and measured for its impact and function and whose world building and character development are on point.
This book is part of the Witchland series (which joy of joys – truly, I couldn’t let this go – is not a trilogy) and serves as a sort of prequel that should, however, not be read before the first book even though that would be chronologically correct. This book is illustrated with maps and sketches, there are handwritten annotations and pages that look like inserted scraps, and because my copy has rough cut or deckle edges it really feels and looks even more like the journal it is supposed to be. I loved getting this deep and personal connection to Ryber and others by reading their thoughts (as opposed to the two main books where the narrator is not first but third person) and the parallel narration of two timelines was in my opinion very cleverly done.
Ryber’s character growth has especially resonated with me in her quest to find out what is going on while also figuring out her own path. I’m a bit more reluctant than Ryber to use the word destiny even though I also don’t think that it’s all coincidental. With all this new information and background I feel that I should read the two main books again before the third comes out. And maybe make a map or chart of connections and points of interest … because if the author pours so much effort into creating all these threads (ha!) then I feel more than a little obligated to keep up and hopefully not miss too much of the expertly crafted hints, foreshadowings, and references.
As I have read Susan Dennard’s first series as well (and been following her on various social media) I’m quite aware how much she has grown as a writer. As another author I admire uses to say that books belong to their readers I’m not usually a fan of authors chipping in after the fact to add tidbits or explain their intent – if it’s not on the page it’s not in the book. BUT (all rules have their exception and some rules are made to be broken) if an author realises that he or she has mucked up in terms of representation or somehow else steered in the wrong direction and not only owns up to it but promises to do better that is something I am more than okay with. And with Susan Dennard especially I not only believe that she will do better but I know so because her work on improving her craft is evident in how much she grows between each individual book.

What are your thoughts on authors chiming in on their books after the publication date? Share your thoughts and teasers in the comments!

Teaser Tuesday: Going Viral by Amy Alward

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Ambrosia of The Purple Booker.
To play along just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Going Viral by Amy Alward.

Going Viral –
Simon & Schuster UK

‘Hey, you can’t remember everything. That’s why we have the internet.’
‘You can’t always access the internet, but I can always access my brain.’
— Chapter 15

This is what best friends do. They not only lift you up but they give you the tools to keep going even in the darkest moment. Her friendship, her love, becomes the armour that I wear against every kind of battle: external and internal.
— Chapter 27

From the beginning, this series has felt something like a feel-good, sit on the couch and enjoy being entertained dramedy show. This is the third book in the series but you could easily start with this one … only you’d miss at least a metric ton of fun that way.
This book picks up the aftermath of the final revelation in the previous book with a literal viral spread of a mysterious disease ailing the magically abled and only the very best alchemist will be able to discover not only the cure but the dark intent behind this threat. And all that on top of finding her place in the world, in her relationship, her heritage, and whatever else life decides to throw Sam’s way.
What I like most about this series, in general, is that the main character never doubts what she wants to do with her life. In a vocational manner. Sam is an alchemist to her very core and is willing to do anything for that future through doubts and setbacks to the point of almost failing but trusting in her ability to emerge triumphantly. And when she doubts, she does so in a constructive and problem-solving oriented way. This almost single-minded determination (or stubbornness) along with her wit has been very relatable from the very beginning.
I wonder a little about that possible fourth book, to be honest. This third one seems to be a fairly round and conclusive end. There is more left to tell but for once I could be alright with leaving the characters where they are now. Or wait, there is that one unresolved issue. And the more I think about it the more I can think about other things that could also use some more exploration. So where is that fourth book?

Vocation is such a great word because it encapsulates this feeling of being called to do/work something. And I think if you can work in a field that calls to you, that is one of the luckiest things of all. Have you found your vocation? When did you know for sure that this was something you wanted to pursue? Share your thoughts and teasers in the comments!

Teaser Tuesday: That Inevitable Victorian Thing by E.K. Johnston

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Ambrosia of The Purple Booker.
To play along just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

That Inevitable Victorian Thing by E.K. Johnston.

That Inevitable Victorian Thing –
Dutton Books

“Nary a frog in sight.”
“It’s the ones out of sight I worry about with you.”
— Interlude

She would do right by him, and hope that he could, at the least, respect her for it. She was almost positive he would, but the heart – ah, the heart – was the least logical part of the human body.
— Chapter 17

If I start sounding a little old fashioned, I will entirely blame this book, which was an absolute delight to read for its slightly slow pace combined with its thoroughness. It’s a very alternate universe in which the British Empire continues to prevail but with the modern amenities and even more modern cultural views.
I took great pleasure in the royal undercover story and the slow burn friendship to more with not just one but in fact three complications. And the thought experiment of what would have happened if certain events in history had played out differently is always something I will readily engage in. This book especially obviously made an effort to be as accurate and credible as possible in its alternate history and that really paid off. The characters are front and centre, which is exactly how I like them in standalone stories.

If you had the option to change one historical event and visit (or live in) its aftermath, where/when would you use this power? For example how would today be different if Caesar hadn’t been hacked to death like the salad of the same name. Share your thoughts and teasers in the comments.

Teaser Tuesday: Death and Night by Roshani Chokshi

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Ambrosia of The Purple Booker.
To play along just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Death and Night by Roshani Chokshi.

Death and Night –
St. Martin’s Press

What property is left to dreamers when every idea has been tamed and conquered? What about the poet who dreams of embracing the night sky?
— Chapter 7

You are courageous and clever, creative and compassionate. But your doubts will ruin you if you let them. Choose happiness. Choose love.
— Chapter 9

There is this pesky holiday coming up that clever advertisers have turned into over-priced roses and cavity-inducing Hallmark card slogans. Not much love lost between that particular date and me. However, I will never say no to a sweet and clever love story.
I won’t even attempt to find a fitting description how Roshani Chokshi can craft magic with words and make your heart grow about three sizes if you’re so inclined. Of course, this novella is way too short. I could have read about Death and Night and their courting and wonderful love story for at least a hundred more pages. But wait, I already got to do that in The Star-Touched Queen, which now feels even more bittersweet for all the extra knowledge about how those two main characters really met and fell in love for the first time.
This is also so much more than a love story. Just like in the novel these characters function well enough on their own but through each other they start to question the status quo and grow so much. They are not better together but because of each other. I love it when Night discovers that she doesn’t need Death to be influential and powerful. And that Death can well keep himself guarded and aloof but the world is a more magical place if you encounter wonder from time to time. Safe is not the same as free.
Wonder and love and wit and banter, the perfect package if you ask me. I’ll take those letters over flowers and cards anytime.

My reading tracker just admonished me that I was falling behind on my challenge (which, by the way, is not true, I just can’t log what I’m reading you nosy machinery). Have you challenged yourself to a number of books/pages or anything this year? Share your thoughts and teasers in the comments.

Teaser Tuesday: Invictus by Ryan Graudin

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Ambrosia of The Purple Booker.
To play along just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Invictus by Ryan Graudin.

Invictus – Little, Brown Books
for Young Readers

His choices were the following:
1. Fade into the background. Be lost.
2. Step out into the thick of the crowd. Be seen.
3. Walk the line between.
— Chapter 2

If it was his attention she wanted, as she claimed, why run? And why run so fast?
— Chapter 9

As you may be aware from past experience (and you’ll get in a second why I just giggle-snorted while writing that), I’m slightly partial to books that involve history and/or time travel. So here we go again, this book had me hook, line, and sinker with the tag “The Future’s Hope is in the Past”. Given the fact that I’ve read one or two … or more such book there is little to no wiggle room on my favourites’ shelf in that category though I get the feeling that I might have to make room there somehow. The characters are a colourful mix of different personalities and since I have just met one of the main players (I suspect so at least), who is aggravatingly shrouding herself in a combination of glimpses and mystery I can’t actually say very much about them apart from my general impression that this is going to get even more interesting very soon.
The whole premise of travelling back in time to observe and under no circumstances altering anything versus travelling back to partake and possibly disturb the future is very complex and so far well developed. It will be interesting to see how this might shift as the story progresses as the back cover already hints at the fact that the past might not be as stable as the present might think it is … possibly learning this by way of the future. And that is just the big threat. The smaller one is the also very daunting black market dealer who has way too much power over the lives of the characters I already care for.
Big plus, in my eyes at least, is that this is a standalone book. I love my series (more than I can say) but sometimes it is also very nice to have the end immediately in sight. I can also guarantee that I most likely won’t be saying this by the end of the book when I’m not ready to let go. Yes, I am aware that I am a walking contradiction most of the time. Not contradictory at all is my desire for a pet red panda. I can completely understand why Saffron had to become part of the time travelling crew. They’re just so cute.

If you could have any animal (extinct or not, time travelling makes it possible) for a pet, what would it be? Sharwoollyr wooly mammoth love and teasers in the comments!

Teaser Tuesday: Tarnished City by Vic James

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Ambrosia of The Purple Booker.
To play along just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Tarnished City by Vic James.

Tarnished City – Pan Books

‘I would say I’ve missed you,’ he said, raising a hand and lightly pushing the blade away from his neck. ‘But Mother instilled in me that a gentleman never lies.’
‘You’re no gentleman.’
— Chapter 6

She used to think ‘courage’ was a reckless, slightly stupid thing. She understood it a little better now. It was doing what was right, even when every shred of self-preservation screamed against it.
— Chapter 10

Be careful what you wish for, it might just come true. I distinctly remember that for the first book I said that I hoped for a more prominent role for a certain string pulling character. (Look here if you don’t believe me.) Well, let’s say I’m now equally happy about said more prominent role and also even more puzzled about what is going on and who has which motives. But in a really good way!
I’m not sure what the twists per page ratio is for other famous series but I’d bet that this one is quite high up among them. It’s probably all going to make sense at the end (or not, depending on where you stand) but I’m quite lost in this twisty labyrinth of allegiances and personal motives. And let’s not forget about debts and other enmeshments.
I was a little – or at one point a lot – thrown by the almost parenthetic death(s) of previously not-unimportant character(s). I understand that this is part of that almost feudal and basically heartless society yet I would have liked for a little more personal impact at least. This felt a little too just touched upon. I could have done without some of the details but that, too, adds to the overall impression of the society in this series. And also shines a spotlight on humanity in general. Or that part of us at least that has a destructive hive mentality because as horrible as it is, the events unfolding don’t seem unplausible if you take away the fantastic aspect.
There is also a host of new characters introduced in this book while others from the previous one take more of a backseat. I usually don’t like this practice too much (getting better at appreciating it though) but in this case, it not only made sense, it elevated the whole narration in my opinion. And I care quite a bit for whom I call the desolate castle thistle. Someone else has so fallen from grace I’m not sure if or how they could ever recover. Almost like they did a 180 while another character proved to live up to a feeling I had about them not being a totally lost cause. As I said: So!many!twists! I love it.
As my wishing worked out so well last time, I’ll attempt it again as I sure hope to a) uncover a certain string pulling character’s motivation and b) find out the story of said stubbornly brave thistle. I found several dates for book three but they seem to converge in summer 2018. Personally, I’m hoping for an early summer this year.

Have you ever had a bookish wish answered in the follow-up novel to an almost spooky degree? What was it and how did it feel for you? Share experiences and your teasers in the comments!

Teaser Tuesday: One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Ambrosia of The Purple Booker.
To play along just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake.

One Dark Throne – HarperTeen

“What stories?”
“Nonsense, mostly.” Genevieve waves her hand. But Natalia frowns. Nonsense becomes truth if enough mouths repeat it.
— Chapter 1

“But remember that you thought the same of Billy when he first arrived.”
“Aye, but what are the chances of me being wrong twice?”
— Chapter 13

Siblings can be a real pest sometimes and they enter into the most dangerous arguments, one might even call them battles. Or so I’m told (precious, difficult, only-child, while we’re at the throwing cliches around stage). But I really think that the people who can love you best are also the ones who can hurt you the worst. Blood relation or not.
This is the second book and I originally had this also down as the final book, but surprise, there will be two more. This second book picks up the pace even more as the ascension of the queens gets up to speed and rivalries run high. Such a violent tradition cannot survive without bloodshed. And not without those upholding this tradition more than likely no matter the cost. I was surprised at myself for how easily I shifted sympathies at first and then really filled my pity cup. None of the three girls deserves what happens to them and how they deal with the situation is as much nurture as it is nature. And possibly a little extra magic. I especially loved those mysterious aspects and kept wondering which powers might be at work there. Whether they are sinister or just fateful.
The supporting characters do a really good job at supporting not only their chosen queen but also the plot in general. Some more than others. I felt that there was a slight imbalance toward two care-giving parties, but that at the same time reinforces that the third didn’t get much say in the keeping of their charge. Great plotting and construction overall. Not to mention the writing. So if a twisty, slightly dark (the title doesn’t lie), and gripping fantasy-mystery-thrilling read is something you enjoy and you haven’t started this series yet, I highly recommend picking up the first book and reading straight on through the novella (not before the first book!) and then this one. The third book is scheduled for September (wait, have I written that before – September is already beginning to look crowded).

What are your sibling rivalry experiences, own or observed? Share your thoughts and teasers in the comments!

Teaser Tuesday: Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Ambrosia of The Purple Booker.
To play along just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas.

Tower of Dawn –
Bloomsbury Children’s Books

It’s hard to love one another, when we will one day contend with each other. Love cannot exist without trust.
— Chapter 24

“If Hasar hated you, I don’t think you’d be alive right now.”
Gods above. This was the woman she’d befriended.
— Chapter 40

The saying is about a reader living a thousand lives as opposed to only one certainly rings true and this also has quite a few perks … and pitfalls. Living a thousand lives in my case also means suffering from quite a bit of anxiety regarding the fates of several characters, relationships, and not to mention whole worlds in general. It’s also quite a task for my memory because keeping all the people, their arcs, and relationships straight is definitely not nothing. Especially if you’re prone to forget even your parents’ birthdays.
I dived back right into this universe, which not only has an ever-growing cast of characters but with this book also expands to a whole new continent. Usually, I wonder what else is going on in the rest of a story’s universe, what the continents are like, the countries and people living there because in most books you only get a glimpse into a very limited part of the world. Granted, if you’ve got the page count this series does, you’ll be able to include quite a bit more. At first, I wasn’t too sure if I’d be as interested in Chaol’s story if the (rest of the) main cast of the series was not present in the book (which was supposed to be a novella and then apparently demanded to be a full-length novel). Rest assured that I was quickly cured of that doubt. I missed a certain fire-breathing b*tch queen and her retinue and was always pleased when they were mentioned or at least alluded to yet at the same time the plot of this book is so vital to the series and picks up quite a few loose ends I had not really paid much attention to that I didn’t feel like I could have done without this book.
And just when I thought that the stakes for this world were already high enough, even with quite a bit added in the course of this book, I so wasn’t ready for that big (and I mean gigantic) extra threat that suddenly gets heaped on top of everything. I am massively afraid of the next book and how all this is supposed to ever be resolved without too many casualties (I have no illusions that we’ll get all of them through this) let alone having the world mostly intact and not under the rule of … one of those threats … or just a big black abyss, really.
So, book seven is scheduled for September. Either my nervous ticks will have solidified into full-blown paranoia by then or at least my nerves will have recovered (not likely, I’d have to stop reading altogether). I’ll have to draw a character chart to keep all those people straight I think. I was quite pleased with myself that I remembered one of the minor characters from the first novellas enough to recognise him in this book but I’ve probably missed quite a few other references. Hats off to the author with this vast and vivid imagination and huge thanks to her and her publisher that we get to share it.

Do you have a method to keep on top of huge character casts? Especially within longer series if you don’t have time to re-read the whole thing prior to a new publication? Share your methods and teasers in the comments!

Teaser Tuesday: La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Ambrosia of The Purple Booker.
To play along just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman.

La Belle Sauvage –
David Fickling Books

At one point he seemed to  be showing the moon to Lyra, pointing up at it and holding her so she could see, or perhaps he was showing Lyra to the moon; at any rate he looked like a lord in his own domain, with nothing to fear and all the silvery night to enjoy.
— Chapter 10

I was looking for something. Now I’ve found it, I shall go home.
— Chapter 23

Happy New Year, everyone. May it be lucky and joyful and healthy and full of wonder and books and everything you wish it to be. I used the quiet time between the holidays to savour a book that has been on my reading pile since its publication in October. However, I knew that I would need some quality reading time for this with nothing to interrupt. An eight-hour train ride seemed like a good start … I regularly forget that public transport is not completely advisable for readers who are prone to emotional outbursts.
I read His Dark Materials when they came out in German (I also had them all in their first edition until I lent the second and third to someone and they didn’t give them back – don’t do this, it’s absolutely detestable) and after reading this what is effectively a prequel but also so much more, I really want to read them again. This time in English to hopefully catch even more of that beautiful language the author uses. Lyra was one of my most prominent childhood heroes and now getting this expansion of her story is like a gift I never considered necessary yet I now wouldn’t want to miss it for the world. It is an epic adventure in its own right full of daring and danger but also surprisingly light and with a good ounce of humour at times. The German title is a little more descriptive in calling this “Across the wild river”, which at the same time might give you an idea of the story while also being absolutely misleading. Saying anything about the story would be a vast injustice to everything that cannot be told so to avoid that I won’t say anything more about it. Apart from once again admiring that word magic in the narration itself. A master wordsmith indeed.
If you are not familiar with this fantastic alternative universe, I cannot recommend it enough. I’m trying to figure out if recommending starting with this book would make more sense than starting with the original first book because then you’d read them in their chronological order but maybe wouldn’t catch the references. Quite difficult. Maybe I’ll have an answer once I’ve read Northern Lights (also known as The Golden Compass. Don’t get distracted by the movie. Unless you’re looking for examples of how-not-to-adapt-a-book-to-screen.).

Would you read books in their internal chronological order or their publication order if given the choice? Share your thoughts and teasers in the comments!