Thorn by Intisar Khanani

Thorn is a princess known in her own land as Alyrra, but is not valued by her mother or her brother. Since her father's death she is alone. The presence of the king of Menaiya in her land means that she is a prospect for marriage, that she may yet escape her bully of a brother. But, Alyrra needs to reach Menaiya safely in order to be wed. 

This was an engrossing tale of a princess betrayed by her own family, then rescued by a foreign prince. The prince himself is vulnerable and needs her help, but she doesn't know how to give it. Along the way she makes a lot of friends in all stations of life. These give her the will to keep striving for the truth.

I understand that this is a re-telling of an older story, but I haven't heard it before and found it quite engrossing. The author writes very descriptively and it was easy to visualise the world created for the characters. It was very enjoyable for me to read and I read it in a very short space of time, for the length of the book. I would recommend it to those who like a fantasy story based on fables and folk tales.

 

"Do not put yourself in a vulnerable situation. Do not walk alone. Do not remain with anyone you do not trust.”

I received an e-ARC of this novel through Edelweiss in exchange for a fair and honest review.

4/5 Stars (What this means...five-stars-applied-carefully) 

Get your copy:

Read it on a Kindle:

 

Official description: 

For Princess Alyrra, choice is a luxury she’s never had … until she’s betrayed. Princess Alyrra has never enjoyed the security or power of her rank. Between her family’s cruelty and the court’s contempt, she has spent her life in the shadows. Forced to marry a powerful foreign prince, Alyrra embarks on a journey to meet her betrothed with little hope for a better future. But powerful men have powerful enemies—and now, so does Alyrra.

Betrayed during a magical attack, her identity is switched with another woman’s, giving Alyrra the first choice she’s ever had: to start a new life for herself or fight for a prince she’s never met. But Alyrra soon finds that Prince Kestrin is not at all what she expected. While walking away will cost Kestrin his life, returning to the court may cost Alyrra her own.

As Alyrra is coming to realize, sometime the hardest choice means learning to trust herself.

Save on your mobile [click on the image for more information or the link if no image is visible]:

I'm on giffgaff and want to share the love. Order a SIM and you'll get £5 extra credit when you activate with £10 or more.

https://www.giffgaff.com/orders/affiliate/julieshort?ggSMS=app

Get £20 off on accessories when you buy a OnePlus smartphone on oneplus.net [click on the image for more information or the link if no image is visible]:

https://oneplus.net/uk/invite#5SUGBN733ZPFCXY 

Get 0.5GB extra storage space when you sign up to One Drive via this link: 

https://onedrive.live.com?invref=9e1dff9dd20d43ff&invscr=90

Shadow Talk by P R Adams

Commander Benson has command of the Valor, and the fleet. She also has diplomatic duties to perform and when a fleet of potential allies are discovered destroyed, she sets about liaison with those in power. The goal, to form allies against a greater threat, if she can.

The Gulmar think very differently, Benson needs quick thinking, strength of character and help from someone else if she is going to succeed in forging an alliance with anyone.

Elsewhere, other Kedraalian's are working on ensuring  future peace. But wherever you are, whoever you are, the risk to personal life and safety is high, whenever you get involved in war and peace games.

P R Adams writes a highly engaging story. I've followed Benson's career and relationships and find it thoroughly involving to the extent that I lose track of what I should really be doing! I anticipate that the next installation will be awesome and suggest that you read all the preceding ones as soon as you can. 

I received a free copy of this novel from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. 

5/5 Stars (What this means...five-stars-applied-carefully) 

 

Get your copy:

Read it on Kindle:

Official description:

After surviving a sneak attack by the Azoren Federation, Captain Faith Benson must forge an alliance with the Gulmar Union. But before she can connect with her potential allies, disaster strikes. 

Now the freshly minted captain has to contend with a crumbling government and troublesome subordinates. Her leadership skills are put to the test, even as allies try to root out traitors and conspiracies.

And when an unexpected threat presents itself, all the efforts put into diplomacy collapse.With time running out, Faith has to find a way not only to salvage the alliance but to save her fleet.

Ready for twists and turns? Then get your copy of this riveting military space opera tale today!

 

Save on your mobile [click on the image for more information or the link if no image is visible]:

I'm on giffgaff and want to share the love. Order a SIM and you'll get £5 extra credit when you activate with £10 or more.

https://www.giffgaff.com/orders/affiliate/julieshort?ggSMS=app 

I buy my glasses online now, I was dubious at first. Now I'll keep on buying them from Glasses Direct, it you do too, you can get a discount off your first order over £49:
 

https://glassesdirect.mention-me.com/m/ol/vm1jh-0d9e9eda68 

 

Get £20 off on accessories when you buy a OnePlus smartphone on oneplus.net [click on the image for more information or the link if no image is visible]:

https://www.oneplus.com/uk/invite#5SUGBN733ZPFCXY 

 

Get 0.5GB extra storage space when you sign up to One Drive via this link 

https://onedrive.live.com?invref=9e1dff9dd20d43ff&invscr=90

The Cabin by Jørn Lier Horst

This is the second of the 'Chief Inspector Wisting' books that I've read, and I enjoyed this one as much as the previous one.

Bernhard Clausen, a former Member of Parliament for the Labour Party has died, and Wisting has been given a secret case to investigate, forming his own team around him. Wisting's daughter (Line) is again involved, this time on Wisting's terms.

But, there is danger lurking, where from is not obvious. Another case overlaps Wisting's and the investigation starts to get very involved.

Line follows up on a previous journalists investigations and obliquely involves the woman in the case. This helps Line move her work for her father forward much more quickly. Meanwhile a Kripos cold case investigator wants to learn what Line knows about it too!

Jorn Lier Horst still tells an exciting story that keeps you along for the trip to the end. Definitely a book that I would recommend to someone that I know, they are a keen Wallender 'follower'. I'm sure that they would like it.

"‘We’re working on a case where it would be best for the police not to be the ones asking the questions,’ he told her."

I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. NetGalley does not allow for paid reviews.

4/5 Stars (What this means...five-stars-applied-carefully)

Get your copy:

  

Read it on a Kindle:

Official description:

It's been fifteen years since Simon Meier walked out of his house, never to be seen again.

And just one day since politician Bernard Clausen was found dead at his cabin on the Norwegian coast.

When Chief Inspector William Wisting is asked to investigate, he soon discovers he may have found the key to solving Meier's disappearance.

But doing so means he must work with an old adversary to piece together what really happened all those years ago.

It's a puzzle that leads them into a dark underworld on the trail of Clausen's interests and vices. A shady place from which they may never emerge - especially when he finds it leads closer to home than he ever could have imagined.

Fans of Jo Nesbo and Stieg Larsson will be captivated by The Cabin, a thrilling and atmospheric read from award-winning Nordic crime writer Jørn Lier Horst.

Save on your mobile [click on the image for more information or the link if no image is visible]:

I'm on giffgaff and want to share the love. Order a SIM and you'll get £5 extra credit when you activate with £10 or more.

https://www.giffgaff.com/orders/affiliate/julieshort?ggSMS=app

Get £20 off on accessories when you buy a OnePlus smartphone on oneplus.net [click on the image for more information or the link if no image is visible]:

https://oneplus.net/uk/invite#5SUGBN733ZPFCXY

Get 0.5GB extra storage space when you sign up to One Drive via this link

https://onedrive.live.com?invref=9e1dff9dd20d43ff&invscr=90

Starve Acre by Andrew Michael Hurley

Creepy as anything! With a shocker of an ending.

Richard Willoughby inherited his home and was persuaded to move into it by his wife, Julia. Richard has taken to a hobby of excavating his field, opposite the house, while Julia spends her time in Ewan's room, hoping for a sign of him, Ewan.

The local village population don't figure much in their lives, they haven't since Richard was a boy. Gordon Lambwell does though. He was fond of Ewan and wants to help with Julia's situation. He has introduced her to Mrs Forde who has, apparently, helped many others before.

Gordon doesn't like that Richard is digging his field, believing that Richard should leave things be. But Richard is dismissive of Gordon's concerns.

Julia's sister Harrie comes to visit, more like take over, but Julia doesn't want any family around and resists Harrie's attempts to help.

Following a curious find in the field, developments continue in the house, and Mrs Forde has her visit.

This was an edgy read and the ending was just so 'creepy'. Of course, I enjoyed it.

"Starve Acre was somewhere that he visited rather than lived. It belonged exclusively to his parents; it was the stage for their life, not his. Until, that is, his mother died, and he inherited everything."

I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. NetGalley does not allow for paid reviews.

4/5 Stars (What this means...five-stars-applied-carefully)

Get your copy:

 

Read it on Kindle [click on the image for more information or the link if no image is visible]:

 

Official description:

The worst thing possible has happened. Richard and Juliette Willoughby's son, Ewan, has died suddenly at the age of five. Starve Acre, their house by the moors, was to be full of life, but is now a haunted place.

Juliette, convinced Ewan still lives there in some form, seeks the help of the Beacons, a seemingly benevolent group of occultists. Richard, to try and keep the boy out of his mind, has turned his attention to the field opposite the house, where he patiently digs the barren dirt in search of a legendary oak tree.

Starve Acre is a devastating new novel by the author of the prize-winning bestseller The Loney. It is a novel about the way in which grief splits the world in two and how, in searching for hope, we can so easily unearth horror.

Save on your mobile [click on the image for more information or the link if no image is visible]:

I'm on giffgaff and want to share the love. Order a SIM and you'll get £5 extra credit when you activate with £10 or more.

https://www.giffgaff.com/orders/affiliate/julieshort?ggSMS=app

Get £20 off on accessories when you buy a OnePlus smartphone on oneplus.net [click on the image for more information or the link if no image is visible]:

https://oneplus.net/uk/invite#5SUGBN733ZPFCXY

Get 0.5GB extra storage space when you sign up to One Drive via this link

https://onedrive.live.com?invref=9e1dff9dd20d43ff&invscr=90