Title: To Kill a Kingdom

Author: Alexandra Christo

Publisher: Hot Key Books

Published: March 6th 2018
Pages: 368 pages

"Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most—a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever.

The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby—it’s his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good—But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy?"

A vicious siren with a magical voice who collects the hearts of princes and a pirate prince in an adventurous quest to take down the Sea Queen? I don’t think I’ve enough words to explain how brilliant is To Kill a Kingdom.

I had really high expectations and you know what? It lived up to them!

Writing: Alexandra Christo’s storytelling is magnificently enticing. I was just so captivated by the fast-paced plot and characters that I couldn’t put the book down. The writing is beautiful and fluid, there is attention to every little detail and the characters are very well-developed. I just can’t believe this is her debut novel! To Kill a Kingdom is brutal and lyrical, and I found myself highlighting so many quotes. Yep, I’m officially in love with Christo’s writing skills.

ARC Review // Paramnesia by Brian Wilkinson

Title: Paramnesia (The Deadish Chronicles #1)

Author: Brian Wilkinson

Publisher: Blue Moon Publishers [thank you for the review copy]

Published: September 18th 2018

"Nora Edwards finally had everything she wanted out of life, including the boy of her dreams, Andrew, until one night that dream turned into a nightmare. On their way home from prom, Nora and Andrew are attacked by a supernatural creature called the Revenant that sucks the souls out of the living in order to feed itself. Nora manages to escape from the creature, but tragically, Andrew is not as fortunate.

Although Nora suffered loss that night, she gained something, as well: the ability to see the dead. Whether the skill is a gift or a curse is yet to be determined, as those around her assume Nora has developed "paramnesia," a disorder where one confuses dreams with reality. She's also attracted the attention of the Revenant's masters, who need to preserve the secret of their supernatural existence. Nora, along with Andrew and her living and dead allies in the Deadish Society, quickly finds herself in a battle for the souls of her city—and her mind."

Paramnesia is a story about love, loss and learning how to live surrounded by ghosts and soul-sucking creatures that want you dead.

PROS

Mental illness awareness. Concerning mental awareness, there's still a lot of prejudice and lack of understanding. I quite enjoyed that this novel deals with a mental illness that isn't very common, paramnesia.

Folk tales. The supernatural world woven by Wilkinson was my favourite part of this novel. I quite enjoyed how he picked up some folk tales (vampires, ghosts, doppelgängers) and gave them a twist of his own. Even the ghosts that inhabited Nora's town were not what you would expect - creatures haunting old houses with a murderous instinct. They were kind and helpful, ready to sacrifice themselves to protect Nora.

Sunday Post. I'm Back (But Possibly Will Vanish Again)

Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviews.

If you were wondering if I was alive, YES I'M! I'm so sorry for my absence, but my life gets more chaotic by the second (it seems chaotic is one of my favourite words) and I need to push everything I love aside - like blogging and bookstagramming and petting my cats. Of course, that leads to a lot of stress and then all I want to do is to wrap a warm blanket around me and not move (*mental breakdown alert*).

And yes, in case you are wondering, I did change my blog template again. "How did you have time for that if you're so busy," you may ask. Well, I wasn't planning it! However, I was on Etsy looking for a b-day present for a friend and for some odd reason I found myself typing "blogger templates" and when I saw this one it was a love at first sight (especially because it was on promotion). So, do you love it? Ps. I'm still waiting for my new header. I can't wait to show you it - the font is so pretty! 😍

What happened in my life these last weeks:

🌻 Busy bee! I've written an article (which I'm sure won't be accepted for publishing) and I was part of a conference where I had a chance to talk about Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
🌻 I've also sent an abstract to conference about the Gothic genre. I'd love to be accepted, but that would mean more work and less free time - and I probably wouldn't be able to go because I don't have the money to go to Manchester.
🌻 So far, I've read ten books! This is a new personal best for me. I'm a slow reader, so I can't stop marvelling at being three books ahead of schedule.
🌻 I've finally been able to create an Instagram theme. I'm so proud of my feed right now. 💛 Ps. I've joined two rep searches, so if you go there and wish me good luck, it would mean the world to me.
🌻 Currently reading To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo (I've only read fifty pages yet, but I'm already loving it) and re-reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (I'm getting a lot of ideas for future academic essays). What's better than read two good books amid all confusion and stress?

Blog Tour. SINthetic

Welcome to Sinthetic Blog Tour.

Title: Sinthetic (The New Lyons Sequence #1)
Author: J.T. Nicholas
Published: January 23rd 2018

"The Artificial Evolution. They look like us. Act like us. But they are not human. Created to perform the menial tasks real humans detest, Synths were designed with only a basic intelligence and minimal emotional response. It stands to reason that they have no rights. Like any technology, they are designed for human convenience. Disposable.

In the city of New Lyons, Detective Jason Campbell is investigating a vicious crime: a female body found mutilated and left in the streets. Once the victim is identified as a Synth, the crime is designated no more than the destruction of property, and Campbell is pulled from the case.

But when a mysterious stranger approaches Campbell and asks him to continue his investigation in secret, Campbell is dragged into a dark world of unimaginable corruption. One that leaves him questioning the true nature of humanity.

And what he discovers is only the beginning . . ."

Add to Goodreads

Amazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo

Sunday Post. Lots of Reading and Some Winnings

Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviews.

Am I back to the busy schedule that I don't even have time to breathe? Yes, my life is once again chaotic. I miss the holidays (never thought I'd say this since I'm such a Grinch). However, this was a good week for me. I can't recall the last time I read so much in a week (Bout of Books 21 surely helped).

What happened in my life this week:

🌻 Busy bee!
🌻 I joined Bout of Books 21 and thanks to it I already read four books this year (A Darker Shade of Magic, This Savage Song, In Frankenstein's Shadow - for my dissertation - and Always and Forever, Lara Jean). I believe this is a new record for me.
🌻 I WON A GIVEAWAY! 😀 Last Wednesday, Funko Europe hosted some flash giveaways on twitter and I won one of them. You know how addicted I'm to funkos.
🌻 My first popular Young Adult book ARC request was accepted! *happy dance* Ps. It isn't the first ARC I receive. It's the first "mainstream" ARC that I receive. Mainstream as one of those books that is so popular that you never though you would have a chance to get your hands on before its release.

Bout of Books 21. Sign Up, Goals, Progress & Wrap Up

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 8th and runs through Sunday, January 14th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 21 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team"

I know, I know... I'm a lazy person. I wanted to write my sign up post before, but I just kept procrastinating it. But I'm finally doing it! So, I'm proud to announce that I'm joining Bout of Books 21. I'm always excited for a week of non-stopping reading.

My goals for Bout of Books 21 Read-a-Thon are:

1. To read every day 50 pages;
2. To participate in two challenges;
3. To update my progress every day.

Sunday Post. Happy New Year!!!

Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviews.

Since this is the first Sunday Post of the year, I'd like to take a moment to wish everyone (again) a HAPPY NEW YEAR! Have a great bookish year! May all your wishes come true. May you reach all of your goals.

What happened in my life this week:

🌻Started reading A Shade Darker of Magic. Can we all agree that V.E. Schwab AKA Victoria Schwab is the queen? 💗
🌻I was able to read fifty pages per day as I promised myself I would.
🌻Reinvented my Instagram feed. Or, at least, I'm trying to...
🌻This hasn't happened yet because I'm lazy and I  haven't written my sign-up post yet, but I'm joining Bout of Books 21. If you're joining - or have already joined - let me know. LET'S DO IT!
🌻It was really an uneventful week...