The Thief on the Winged Horse by Kate Mascarenhas

At one point near the start of this book I thought that it was going to read like a children's book. Thankfully the bit that made me think that (Larkin skipped up the central steps) was a one off and the story continued on a better footing. 

Larkin has crossed to the eyot on which the Kendricks Workshop is placed and where its magical dolls are made; his intention is to become a sorcerer and make such dolls himself. However, Larkin is not the only one with such a desire. In order to gain employment at the Workshop, Larkin must either be a family member or marry into the family. He believes his claim that he is a family member will gain him his employment.

There is a rare doll in the home of the current owner of Kendricks, made by Lucy Kendrick, one of the founders of the doll Workshop, "The Paid Mourner”. It is extremely valuable and, during an annual celebration, it is stolen. This theft is an unlikely event due to the protections surrounding the doll, but nonetheless it is gone. 

As the only people who live on the eyot are family or married into the family, suspicions are spread thin. The twin of the owner is suspected and all family members have police searches to endure.

Plots twist and people turn about as they worm their way to the top. Dolls are made and hexes writ on mannequins to change the fortune of sorcerers. Kendrick's, Jackson's and Botham's wait to discover the whereabouts of 'The Paid Mourner'.

Larkin dances through it all, but Persephone is by his side.

I like the way that the characters were tetchy and behaved as a normal person would. But, the thing that did annoy me was the way that bits were left out in certain areas, bits that will lead to another follow-up book I expect.

"Larkin explored an orchard. The bark of one tree was engraved with the image of a man on a winged horse, and beneath it, a single word: THIEF. Undeterred Larkin scrumped four quince and hid them in his bag."

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)

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A dazzling mixture of crime, romance, magic and myth from the acclaimed author of The Psychology of Time Travel.

The Kendrick family have been making world-famous dolls for over 200 years. But their dolls aren't coveted for the craftmanship alone. Each one has a specific emotion laid on it by its creator. A magic that can make you feel bucolic bliss or consuming paranoia at a single touch. Though founded by sisters, now only men may know the secrets of the workshop.

Persephone Kendrick longs to break tradition and learn the family craft, and when a handsome stranger arrives claiming doll-making talent and a blood tie to the Kendricks, she sees a chance to grasp all she desires. But then, one night, the family's most valuable doll is stolen. Only someone with knowledge of magic could have taken her. Only a Kendrick could have committed this crime...

Reviews for Kate Mascarenhas:

'Witty, inventive and unflashily wise about human hearts; Mascarenhas's future promises to be an exciting one' GUARDIAN. 

'Breathtakingly tender and wryly understated' NEW YORK TIMES. 

'Captivating, delightful and thoroughly original' JENNIE MELAMED.

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The New Girl by Harriet Walker

The first half of this book is centred mainly around the self centred thoughts and actions of Margot and Maggie. Margot is the outgoing mother and Maggie is the incoming maternity cover of a fashion editor's post in a top notch fashion magazine. Both want to be top of the tree and think and behave like prima Donna's. It's very much about setting up their characters and the back story until Winnie joins the story properly. Then we hear about the history between Margot and Winnie, as well as the historical involvement of a third party called Helen.

At this changing point in the story it actually does start to get interesting and more involving, if you have stuck it out so far. There starts to be tension, intrigue and twists in the story, which started out as a fashion tour of duty. It is definitely a story of two half's and I would have scored it much higher if it had been more of the second and less of the first. It is a good concept, averagely executed.

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

3/5 Stars (What this means...five-stars-applied-carefully)

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She's borrowed your life. But what if she decides to keep it?

Glamorous Margot Jones is the fashion editor at glossy women's magazine Haute, and pregnant with her first child. Margot's used to her carefully curated life being the object of other women's envy - who wouldn't want her successful career, loving husband, beautiful house and stylish wardrobe?

Maggie, a freelance journalist, certainly knows she doesn't measure up. So when Margot gets in touch to suggest she apply for her maternity cover at Haute, Maggie seizes the chance at living a better life - even if it's only temporary.

But the simultaneous arrival of Margot's baby and a brutal end to her oldest friendship sends Margot into a spiral of suspicion and paranoia. Are Maggie's motives as innocent as they seem? And what happens at the end of the year when Margot wants her old life back - especially if Maggie decides she doesn't want to leave?

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Forged in Shadow (The War of the Nine Faerie Realms Book 1) by Megan Haskell

King Othin starts the book with his rage and his need for power, his daughter continues the plot with her approach to moving things forward. Lhéwen follows the princess on her journey to the Shadow realm, the sole handmaiden to accompany her, she feels highly honoured to be included. In the Shadow realm Lhéwen meets Curuthannor for the first time, as Faelilel searches for someone to assist in her plans.

Meanwhile King Othin is gathering other Kings to his cause with a view to becoming King over all realms.

Treachery takes place and betrayal of trust. But some will come forward with honest intent and belief in doing whatever is needed for the best of all the races.

I liked the plot set-out for this book and enjoyed the story a great deal. I didn't like that it read very much like a Young Adult romance book at around about 7% of the way through the book (for a short while) , however it redeemed itself and pulled away from that way of writing, resulting in a very enjoyable read.

"One didn’t thank the fae, not without owing great favor."

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

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In the chaos of war, not all heroes shine. Some must rise from shadows to claim the light.

As the youngest son of the greatest smith of the fae, Curuthannor should be aspiring to the forge. Instead, he would rather wield a blade than craft one. When the high elf king commissions a powerful enchanted sword requiring iron found only in the subterranean goblin mines of the Shadow Realm, Curuthannor seizes the opportunity to earn a place in the smithy that doesn’t require a hammer. But when dark elf treachery interferes, the lives of his entire family could be at risk...for the high elf king is unmerciful and will not suffer disobedience.

Especially from his own daughter.

As the most trusted handmaiden to the high elf princess, Lhéwen is honored to attend her mistress on what she believes is a diplomatic delegation to the dark elf king. She doesn’t realize it could be a one-way trip. While the princess forges an escape from her father’s ruthless will, Lhéwen is trapped in a foreign land. Betrayed and alone, Lhéwen discovers it is her own quiet power that may free—or doom—them all.

For when the pen fails, the sword will take its place.

Forged in Shadow is the first book in the thrilling new epic fantasy trilogy by award-winning author, Megan Haskell. Set in the same universe as The Sanyare Chronicles, this is the story of the Great War between the nine faerie realms. If you like sweeping vistas, unexpected heroes, and world-shattering stakes, you’ll love this battle between Shadow and Light.

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Dark Secrets (Lancers Book 4) by P. R. Adams

The Lancers return, a slightly different team, but I know them all (though that is not essential for reading the book - it just gave me a buzz that I did). It makes good reading seeing how they work out how, or whether, they can work together. It's made more difficult by the job the Benji’s got them on.

However, Benji isn't happy with Go's changes to the team and Go doesn't like it when people keep secrets (and most of them have), so there are 'problems' in the team. 

The 'job' is high earning and as usual, for Lancers, that requires a lot of commitment (a bit like marriage! - to the death). 

It seems like a historical vendetta is playing out and the Lancers are front and centre, saving themselves and many more along the way.

Without wanting to spoil your enjoyment of this most excellent novel, I would like to say that I found it exciting to read and intriguing at how previous stories linked into it. Somehow P R Adams manages to create real worlds and environments that give the reader an immersive experience.

I'll be going back over P R Adams book list to read or re-read some of his other older books to get back story and keep up my character and world knowledge, I reckon.

"Firefights were always the same for Jason. Everything took on a frightening clarity, as if the universe had cranked itself up to eleven."

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)

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Secrets and lies can get you killed.

Benji Chan is a Gridhound, an elite hacker. In fact, she’s the best hacker ever known. And she’s put together an expert team of Lancers—bounty hunters, detectives, and mercenaries. Now all she has to do is keep them together.

Their first job seems simple enough: Find the spy who’s trying to steal valuable industrial secrets on a remote colony world. But nothing’s ever as simple as it appears. Lies and betrayal quickly destroy the team’s trust in each other and in their employer, and the job itself is nothing like they expected.

Will this be the opportunity of a lifetime, or will it be the last thing they ever do?

The Lancers series is full of mystery, suspense, and intrigue. Grab your copy now, and enjoy the thrilling twists and turns that come with Dark Secrets.

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Bone Silence by Alastair Reynolds

Adrana and Arafura (Fura) Ness are back in this (allegedly) last book in the series. Having upset the whole Congregation of worlds with the changes in quoins and their values, they are now being hunted for a variety of crimes. They set out to acquire a means of communicating and listening in on ship to ship messages. Each sister also has their own 'shopping list' of things they want to acquire while docked.

Fura commandeers another ship for Adrana and they each set their ships towards their next target, where they will be able to satisfy their curiosity regarding certain matters relating to the cycle of the rise and fall of civilisations and other tasks they have taken upon themselves.

Meanwhile the hunters are circling and drawing near, with dirty tricks, to capture the Ness sisters. The intention is to hang every crime they can on the heads of the sisters, while setting everyone against them to ensure capture and conviction at the very least (death if necessary).

Each sister has to deal with difficulties thrown in their path, hoping that they will eventually be safely reunited and better placed than they are at the start.

I enjoyed this book, I like the world's that the sister's and their crew visit and the people they meet. They all have their different ways of speaking, for example the space farers talk like pirates, alien's have their own different ways of communicating and the robots speak depending on their level of repair. The author states that they have finished this world now, which I am disappointed about. However, the books in this series are excellent and I am glad that I have read them.

If you enjoy space or adventure stories you will most likely enjoy this book. I recommend it to you, but make sure that you read the other two first (Revenger and Shadow Captain).

"The man was not a man. The upper two thirds of his face, from the point where his nose might have begun, was a jumble of insect parts stitched together like the pieces of a rag doll."

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.

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

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Return to the Revenger universe, for another thrilling tale set among the stars . . .

Quoins are accepted currency throughout the thousands of worlds of the Congregation. Ancient, and of unknown origin and purpose, people have traded with them, fought for them, and stolen quoin hordes from booby-trapped caches at risk to life and limb throughout the Thirteen Occupations. Only now it's becoming clear they have another purpose . . . as do the bankers who've been collecting them.

The Occupations themselves are another puzzle. The rise and fall of civilisation may have been unevenly spaced across history, but there is also a pattern. Could something be sparking the Occupations - or ending them? And if so, what could it be, lurking far beyond the outermost worlds of the Congregation?

The Ness sisters are being hunted for crimes they didn't commit by a fleet whose crimes are worse than their own. If they're to survive, and stay one step ahead of their pursuers - if they're to answer the questions which have plagued them - it's going to require every dirty, piratical trick in the book .

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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."

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

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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.

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The Weight of a Soul by Elizabeth Tammi

Norse gods rule the land in which Lena and her sister Fressa live. Fressa dreams of marrying her love Amal when her father returns from his raiding.

But, when Fressa is found dead Lena is so distraught that she decides to find a way to bring her back, so that Fressa and Amal can be married and the three of them can be happy again.

The cost to bring her sister back is high, and the gods strike a hard bargain, while slyly keeping Lena unaware of the truth behind the situation.

Lena repeatedly tries to meet the terms the gods have set for her sisters return. And you will need to read the book to find out what they were and what Lena goes through.

I found the characters well written and the description of the world easy to absorb. I didn't find myself feeling any urgency about any of Lena's situations, but that didn't detract from the tale telling for me. Overall this was an enjoyable book to read. I liked it, hence my rating.

"Fressa’s stoniness had melted away, and her hazel eyes were open wide in terror. For an instant, a green-tinted light seemed to spill across the freckled plains of her face, but then Fressa dropped the knife."

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3/5 Stars (What this means...five-stars-applied-carefully)

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When Lena's younger sister Fressa is found dead, their whole Viking clan mourns—but it is Lena alone who never recovers. Fressa is the sister that should've lived, and Lena cannot rest until she knows exactly what killed Fressa and why—and how to bring her back. She strikes a dark deal with Hela, the Norse goddess of death, and begins a new double life to save her sister.

But as Lena gets closer to bringing Fressa back, she dredges up dangerous discoveries about her own family and finds herself in the middle of a devastating plan to spur Ragnarök –a deadly chain of events leading to total world destruction. Still, with her sister's life in the balance, Lena is willing to risk it all. She's even willing to kill. How far will she go before the darkness consumes her?

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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."

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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.

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Magician's Gift by H. L. Burke

This is a short story about Jericho, his brother-in-law Auric, and his dear wife Rill. Jericho is crafting a gift for his wife for their tenth wedding anniversary, he is making it by hand and wants it to be both very special and a surprise. Auric suggests that Jericho could make it even more special if uses his magic, which sets Jericho to thinking about what his wife means to him and how he can demonstrate that in his gift.

Rill certainly gets a surprise when Jericho's gift gives more than expected, just a few days before their anniversary.

This is a short story that follows on from the Spellsmith and Carver series. I is a quick visit back into their world that leaves a gentle feeling of contentment. I enjoyed the story, short as it was.

"Something grabbed Jericho by the ankle."

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

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Jericho Carver has fought evil fairies and defeated dragons.

He never expected his greatest challenge to be finding the perfect anniversary gift for his beloved wife.

Ten years of marriage merits something flashy and fantastic. At least that's what Jericho's brother-in-law says. Jericho Carver has never been a flashy sort of guy, but to give his wife the magical anniversary she deserves, he will pull out all the stops.

What could possibly go wrong?

A companion short story to the Spellsmith & Carver Gaslamp Fantasy Series.

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