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Staff Review – Clockwork Angel

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Clockwork Angel is the first book in the Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare. It is set in Victorian London and has an air of steampunk – although it is not explicitly that genre. There are clockwork creations and automatons, a Shadowhunter inventor that tinkers with gears and wires, but the overall setting is not one of steam powered air machines and gear-covered outfits. As a fan of the steampunk genre and aesthetic, I quite enjoyed the subtle notes of it in this series.
The clockwork automatons are intriguing, as they are made from neither Heaven nor Hell and thus the Shadowhunters have no experience dealing with them. They create a unique foe to fight against and are a greater mystery – as our heroes do not know who truly created them, or their nefarious purpose.

Each chapter is…

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Sorcery of Thorns – Margaret Rogerson

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Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson is a beautifully written world that will appeal to book lovers and make you want to live in its rich depths. It is a world in which certain books are magical, called grimoires, and are capable of magic and destruction if damaged. As a result, there are wardens who keep dangerous grimoires locked up and protect society from them in case of disasters and apprentices who are training to take on the mantle of warden in the future. Elizabeth Scrivener is one of those people, although she was left on the steps of the Great Library as a child and has grown up exploring its halls – unlike her peers.

Elizabeth Scrivener is one of my favourite new characters, but I’m a (future) librarian I’m biased. She is strong-willed, intelligent, loves to…

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Staff Review – Children of Blood and Bone

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Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Children of Blood and Bone is a fantastic debut novel by author Tomi Adeyemi. She was inspired to write this book by West African mythology as well as the black-lives matter movement. Although that sounds like an unwieldy premise, I feel that the two inspirations blend. Despite the fact that the book is fantasy and not contemporary, it makes you think although, as I was reading it I did not equate it with the movement. Perhaps other people felt that it resonated with the movement more strongly, but I felt that it was a fantasy that made you question your perception of things in general – rather than in relation to a specific topic.

I have always been a huge fan of mythology so I was immediately intrigued by the premise of this book. Despite the…

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Renegades by Marissa Meyer

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Renegades by Marissa Meyer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am absolutely in love with the book and wish that I didn’t have to wait another year to find out what happens. Unlike Marissa Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles series, I feel that Renegades is not a series that is as universal a read. The Lunar Chronicles effortlessly blends science fiction with a fairytale retelling and I feel can draw people in even if they don’t normally read either of those two. Renegades on the other hand is definitely a superhero story, with fantastic characters and an intriguing plot – but, if you’re not a fan of superheroes then you’re not as likely to fall in love with this book.

I personally love superheroes, I read comics and can completely see the similarities to the X-Men in this novel. The gifted in this novel are called prodigies and have such amazing…

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This Savage Song – Victoria Schwab

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This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

The first few chapters can be a bit slow to get into, but the story does find its path fairly quickly and immediately became a favourite. I originally read the first five chapters via Epic Reads was intrigued by the premise although nothing much happened at the beginning. I finally got a chance to read the entire book and the idea of it is just fantastic. Our main characters live in a world in which sins and crimes beget monsters – creatures that terrorize the city and force the people to choose between two ways of life. In one half of the City, the leader lets the monsters roam freely but puts them under his control to a degree and sells his protection to the people for a high price. In the other half of the City, the…

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Strange the Dreamer – Laini Taylor

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Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer, #1)

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor is the first book in a fantasy duology. From the first few pages, I was drawn into the story like a moth to a flame and it never let me go. The author has a way with words and was able to vividly paint a world that I immediately fell in love with. From a young age, Lazlo Strange has been entranced by the idea of Weep, the Unseen City, and all of its mysteries lost to time and memory. His dreams come true when he learns that there is a chance for outsiders, including himself, to travel to the city – as long as he is bold enough to seize it.

Lazlo is a dreamer, a librarian, a scholar (although not in title), a kind heart, and a storyteller. I just…

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Roar – Cora Carmack

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Roar by Cora Carmack

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Roar started off slowly, but before long I was completely enamoured by the story. I personally love stories where elemental powers are part of the lore. Roar had a similar, yet unique take on those special abilities.

There are people in the world, called Stormlings, who are able to use their affinities to battle storms. In this land, those abilities relate to the storms that plague the kingdoms and towns. A Stormling may have an affinity for sky fire and be able to battle lightning – or they may have an affinity for tornados. Many battle storms not only to protect their lands but in the attempt to gain more affinities. If strong enough, a Stormling could take the heart of the storm (which manifests as a rock or gem) and use it to channel their abilities.

Aurora is the…

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