Tag: victoria schwab

Book Review: Gallant – V. E. Schwab

Book Review: Gallant – V. E. Schwab

by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 0 Leave a Comment


Release Date: March 8th 2022
Publisher: Titan Books
Pages: 320
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 5/5 stars

Synopsis

Sixteen-year-old Olivia Prior is missing three things: a mother, a father, and a voice. Her mother vanished all at once, and her father by degrees, and her voice was a thing she never had to start with.

She grew up at Merilance School for Girls. Now, nearing the end of her time there, Olivia receives a letter from an uncle she’s never met, her father’s older brother, summoning her to his estate, a place called Gallant. But when she arrives, she discovers that the letter she received was several years old. Her uncle is dead. The estate is empty, save for the servants. Olivia is permitted to remain, but must follow two rules: don’t go out after dusk, and always stay on the right side of a wall that runs along the estate’s western edge.

Beyond it is another realm, ancient and magical, which calls to Olivia through her blood…

Review

Victoria Schwab is one of my favourite authors and Gallant was my most anticipated release of 2022. This gorgeous, atmospheric tale follows the story of Olivia Prior – a young girl living at Merilance School for Girls. Her mother disappeared and she has spent her days being taunted by the other girls at the school. When a mysterious letter arrives from Olivia’s Uncle, she is sent to Gallant – the Prior family estate. When Olivia gets there she learns this is anything but a normal household. Olivia soon discovers another realm bordering on Gallant’s estate and must do everything she can to save her family and herself.

This book has such an intriguing premise and Schwab executes this story perfectly. The book is brimming with atmosphere and filled with Schwab’s trademark lyrical writing. As soon as this book arrived I dropped everything to read it and was utterly swept away. The setting really comes to life in the story and I could easily picture the world Schwab has created. The book also features some fascinating illustrations that added another layer to the story.

There is so much to love about Gallant and our main protagonist Olivia is definitely one of those things. She’s clever, determined to succeed, and desperate to find a place where she belongs. You can’t help rooting for her and the people she cares about. I loved the way Gallant was at times a moving story but also had some really tense, creepy moments too.

Gallant is an incredibly engrossing read, one that you will not want to look away from. It’s the sort of book that once you finish you immediately want to reread. While I do prefer Schwab’s adult books, this is an exceptional book and if you’re a fan of her writing I absolutely recommend picking this one up. Gallant is a beautiful story and I can’t wait to see what Schwab dreams up next.

Book Review: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue – V. E. Schwab

Book Review: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue – V. E. Schwab

by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 5 Comments


Release Date: 6th October 2020
Publisher: Titan Books
Pages: 560
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: The publisher kindly approved me for an E-ARC on Netgalley
Rating: 5/5 stars

Synopsis

France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever-and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.

Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.

But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore, and he remembers her name.

In the vein of The Time Traveler’s Wife and Life After Life, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is New York Times bestselling author V. E. Schwab’s #1 New York Times Bestselling Author genre-defying tour de force.

Review

V. E. Schwab is one of my favourite authors and while I haven’t read all of her back catalogue yet, I’ve loved every single one that I’ve read. Going into Addie LaRue I had the highest expectations and I already thought this was going to be a five star read. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue isn’t just a five star read though, it’s without a doubt my favourite book of 2020 and possibly my favourite book of all time. If you take one book recommendation from me it would be to pick this one up.

The story follows Adeline LaRue a young woman desperate to escape life planned out for her – a small village, marriage and children. In a desperate attempt to gain her freedom she sells her soul to be made immortal, however there’s a catch – Addie will live forever but she will be forgotten by everyone she meets. We follow Addie through her lifetime until almost three hundred years later when she meets a boy named Henry in a used bookshop, who remembers her name.

I’m not sure I have the words to convey how much I loved this book. V. E. Schwab has such a beautiful lyrical writing style and it shines in this story. I loved the two timelines of Addie in the present and Addie in the past. It’s quite a slow paced story, but it absolutely fits the tone and the atmosphere.

This truly is a brilliant story and part of the reason I think I loved it so much is because of the terrific protagonist Schwab has created. As you follow Addie you become so attached to her, it was fascinating seeing her grow as a character and adapt to her life as an immortal. She’s a clever and determined character and even when she thinks of giving up she still picks herself up and continues.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a compelling tale, full of love and heartbreak. It’s the perfect story to get lost in. There’s already been quite a lot of hype about this one but it is absolutely deserved. A magical tale from start to finish, I did not want this one to end and I cannot wait to see what V. E. Schwab does next.

Book Review: The Near Witch – V. E. Schwab

Book Review: The Near Witch – V. E. Schwab

by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 5 Comments

BOOK REVIEW - 2019-03-30T110812.209.png
Release Date: March 12th 2019
Publisher: Titan Books
Pages: 354
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review.
Rating: 4/5 stars

Synopsis

The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.

If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.

There are no strangers in the town of Near.

These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.

But when an actual stranger, a boy who seems to fade like smoke, appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.

The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion.

As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.

Review

book cover - 2019-03-24T180513.572This is the rerelease of Victoria Schwab’s debut novel featuring an all new short story titled The Ash Born Boy. The story is a dark and atmospheric tale that follows Lexi a young girl living in the small town of Near. The town is extremely isolated so when a stranger comes to visit the villagers become very unsettled. Soon after children begin disappearing from their beds and the mysterious stranger is instantly blamed for it. Lexi believes the stranger is innocent, but will she be able to prove it?

This was such a gripping read! I have fast become a fan of V. E. Schwab and I was so looking forward to reading her debut novel. Though it has been reprinted it has not been edited or changed since the original publication and it was fascinating to see how her writing has grown from this book to Vengeful and City of Ghosts.

The Near Witch is a story full of magic, mystery and danger. It kept me reading long after I’d planned to put the book down and I completely fell in love with Lexi and her sister Wren. She’s determined to do what she thinks is right (regardless of what her uncle thinks), she stands up for herself and she’ll do anything to protect her sister. The story unfolds beautifully and the plot is well written with an air of Neil Gaiman around it.

The creepy atmospheric setting is really brought to life in Schwab’s elegant writing and I could almost feel the icy wind of on the moor. While I really enjoyed this book it didn’t grab me as much as some of the authors other work but it was still a hugely fascinating read. The additionally short story too was a brilliant look at the back story of the visiting stranger. If you’re a fan of Victoria Schwab or you like magical tales full of atmosphere, I’d highly recommend this one!
4 stars

Waiting on Wednesday: Tunnel of Bones #15 – Victoria Schwab

Waiting on Wednesday: Tunnel of Bones #15 – Victoria Schwab

by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

bones
Synopsis

Trouble is haunting Cassidy Blake . . . even more than usual.

She (plus her ghost best friend, Jacob, of course) are in Paris, where Cass’s parents are filming their TV show about the world’s most haunted cities. Sure, it’s fun eating croissants and seeing the Eiffel Tower, but there’s true ghostly danger lurking beneath Paris, in the creepy underground Catacombs.

When Cass accidentally awakens a frighteningly strong spirit, she must rely on her still-growing skills as a ghosthunter — and turn to friends both old and new to help her unravel a mystery. But time is running out, and the spirit is only growing stronger.

And if Cass fails, the force she’s unleashed could haunt the city forever.

Thoughts

tunnelWelcome to another Waiting on Wednesday! This week I wanted to talk about Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab which is the second instalment in her Cassidy Blake series. Victoria Schwab is like a new found favourite author for me – I read a few of her books last year and loved them and I have the rest of them on my 2019 TBR. Middle grade is not something that I read very often but when I heard about Victoria Schwab’s ghost story set in Edinburgh I just had to pick up a copy – and I’m so glad I did because I enjoyed it so much and read it in one sitting. If you want to read my full review for the book you can check it out here. I ended up giving it five stars and I’m eagerly awaiting the release of the next book in the series. This time Cassidy is in Paris in the famous catacombs and I’m so excited because I loved the film As Above So Below – a horror film set in the same place. The first book was so creepy and fun and I’m sure Tunnel of Bones will be just as brilliant. The second instalment in the Cassidy Blake series is publishing September 5th from Scholastic Books.