Monday, June 26, 2023

Greymist Fair

By Francesca Zappia
314 pages
Hardback first edition
YA Fantasy 

When the author announced this book I had to pre-order it. I have read her other books and loved them all. They all have made me cry in different ways. This one so gave me sniffles. 

The book is kind of different because the whole story us told through 7 mini novels, with two shorter pieces at the start and end. 

Table of contents: all the stories
Each story has its own chapter sequence and is centered on a different character . 


This book was so good that I'm going to forgive Blogger for randomly insisting that the rest of the post should be centered. Also, I've tried to fix it 3 times and I'm fed up with it, so that’s just how it's going to be. Not like anyone else reads these anyway. 😅

I really liked the shifting perspectives. All of the main characters were interesting and round - although some of the side characters weren't. Also, I longed to know more about some of the side characters: What happened to the friend of the prince? The boy's mother? Etc.

Also, becuase I pre-ordered the book, I got some special things:


Author info:
Back of the book:

Thursday, June 22, 2023

Divine Rivals

By Rebecca Ross
362 pages
Hardback
Owlcrate first edition

Oh wow. I started reading this book around 8am today - it is not quite 3pm and I just finished it. 

This book was riveting. I didn't want to put it down- although I did take a little lunch break. 

This book had a little bit of everything: sass, humor, magic, romance...

It also had warfare, and soldiers, and infirmaries. And magical typrewriters.

I even cried at one point. 
No, I won't say when. It's not the above page...

It's also just a beautiful edition! Owlcrate really stepped it up. 

Stamped edges:
With a black ribbon bookmark.

Foiled Hardcover 
The front 

the back

Beautiful end papers:

The neat inside pages:
those typewriter key letters

bound in author letter

signature page

Not tension the art inside the dust jacket (above) or to neglect the back of the dust jacket:
Totally calls for at least a second book - I'm guessing duology because the author has written a couple of those - and I'm really looking forward to the next volume!