​Princess Cimorene is not your average princess. She is bored of being an average princess. She is sick of being taught how to embroider when actually she wants to learn how to fence and cast magic spells. But she is always told that she isn’t fitting the stereotype and her parents despair of her. So one day they choose a prince for her to marry and this spurs Cimorene to seek her own destiny and becomes a dragon’s princess instead. This role suits Cimorene down to the ground and becomes happy within her new setting with Kazul, a dragon in need of someone to translate her scrolls and concoct magic potions. However, things are not always what they seem in the world of dragons and soon both Kazul and Cimorene have a plot they need to uncover before it becomes too late.
 
I read this book while I was school (and, I’ll admit, that was a long time ago!). This book has not aged nor the sentiments that it holds. It is about breaking the stereotypes and succeeding even when the odds are against you. Cimorene is head strong and knows her own mind and becomes a pivotal part of the secret world of dragons. She proves her worth and is helpful, kind and generous without loosing her independence and drive. This book is perfect for anyone who loves positive role models and a fast paced tale with quirky and crazy characters within a highly believable world. I would highly recommend this and I can’t wait until my daughter is old enough to read this!
 
Read this if you love kick-ass princesses, a pinch of magic and a whole lot of dragons and wizards!

If you would like to know more about Patricia Wrede click here pcwrede.com/

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Publisher: Anderson Press
Saorise is a typical teenager who has just finished her Irish Leaving Cert and has all the emotions of any teen who has just finished school and is embarking on the next part of her life journey. Her Dad has already got it all planned for her: Oxford and then great things. For Saorise though it is not quite plain sailing. She wants to party, kiss girls and watch horror movies but her summer is interrupted by the entrance of Ruby: rom com fan, optimist and all round nice girl. She challenges her to a summer romance but can everything be a rom com montage without anything serious coming between them?
I’ll be honest, I wish this book had been around when I was Saorise age as I would have lapped it up (even more than I did in my late 30’s!) This book has all the wonderful bits of a classic romance (and all the troubled waters that come with it) as well as goofy, quirky and likeable characters that you can’t help but fall in love with. The waters do get choppy: the book covers teen romance and break ups, dementia and the idea of what it is to be family. However, when the book ended I felt a great sense of being at peace with everything and that I was satisfied with the ending (which doesn’t happen often).

I heartily recommend this book to readers aged 14+ who enjoy a good romance as well as characters that are packed full of sass and conviction. I particularly loved the relationship between Saorise and her father as it painted such a true picture of what some daughter/ father relationships can be like but also how, sometimes, we don’t always appreciate what our parents sacrifice for us until we have the maturity to understand it when we are older.
As a footnote I will be picking up a copy of Smyth’s next book as soon as I am allowed back into a bookshop… if it is anything like this one then I will be hooked yet again!

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If you would like to know more about Ciara click here ciarasmyth.com/

​Three bullets is a book like no other. It is stark, raw and full of pent up anger reflecting a society that has ended up with nothing but a war torn country being taken over by the worst parts of society. It is dystopian fiction at its most disturbing.
 
The story is that of Marti who puts herself first who is the complete opposite of her travelling companion, Maude and who feels little empathy for her younger brother, Rowan and little sympathy for the world which is collapsing around them. Self preservation is her top priority and stuff anyone who gets in her way. But her journey changes her in many ways: physically, mentally and emotionally. 
 
This book is not for the fainted hearted. It was packed to the brim with issues and really harrowing incidents. This is not a book to enjoy rather a book that will make you think more carefully about the world as it is today and how close we sometimes come to some of this dystopian future. It is, at times, a deeply uncomfortable read and I sometimes needed to take a break from it to let some of the words sink in and settle before moving on. Having said this, it is an extremely compelling read and I found it very hard to put down.
 
This book is not suitable for younger readers. I would recommend it for 16+
 
Thank you to Andersen Press for this review proof. 

You can order your copy here and support your local indie bookshop!

For more information about Melvin Burgess click here melvinburgess.net/news/

​There are not many certainties in life but I simply knew that the last book in the Cursebreaker trilogy ' A Vow so bold and deadly' by Brigid Kemmerer was going to be worth the wait. The previous book had left the reader on a knife edge between the warring factions of Emberfall and Syll Swallow and the cataclysmic split between Grey and Rhen. 
 
I don't want to give anything away as there are so many twists, turns and heart stopping moments that I don't want to spoil it for anyone (particularly anyone who has fallen for any of the beautifully constructed characters that Kemmerer uses to tell the story through). 
 
The story is fast paced and an absolute page turner. I devoured this book in a matter of days and I recommend this book to anyone that loves adventure with a touch of romance and a sprinkling of magic! 

If you'd like to know about the author, click here

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​The world is a confusing place for the Boy sitting in the caravan in the woods. There are so many things to learn while John is away and so many secrets to keep hidden. You have to be smart and keep your wits about you especially when the wolves are stirring deep underground.
 
The story is deeply unnerving and at times you have to hold your breath just to make sure that the characters within the pages are kept safe. It is about a world that is without boundaries but not without morals and explores the inner workings of the human mind and its existence.
 
This book left a deep impression on me for days after I put it down and I still catch myself questioning some of the motives of the characters. I was sent a proof of this book but the real thing looks even more intriguing with some amazing artwork done by the author which I think will add an extra layer to the story.
 
Well recommended if you like a story that is dark and thoughtful.
 

If you would like to learn more about Jason you can find his website here

If you would like to order a copy of We Were Wolves, please support your local independent bookshop and order through www.bookshop.org 

You can find out more about Yousra here

Why not support your local independent bookshop by ordering your copy through bookshop.org

​Apple and Rain is a book about knowing what you want in life and discovering that when you get what you think you want,  you have to accept that perhaps the grass is not always greener.

Apple has lived her life with the memory of her mother leaving her and her having to live with her Nan. Her Nan is lovely. But can be a tad overbearing. Especially as Apple is wanting to spread her wings a little and have a bit more freedom. And she certainly doesn’t want to be walked home from school everyday.
So when her Mum turns up unannounced, Apple gets swept along in a whirlwind of emotion which makes her happy, rash and then starts questioning who she really is after all. She loves having her Mum back but it seems that her Mum still harbours some secrets that Apple wishes she hadn’t kept hidden from her.

Told through beautiful prose this book will have you re exploring your love of poetry as Apple tries to come to terms with all the quick changes in her life. 

You can find Sarah Crossan on Twitter here
You can support your local independent bookshop by ordering your copy through bookshop.org 

​Set in the fictional town of Bayview, five students enter an everyday detention. But there is nothing 'everyday' about the students that have been sent there: a baseball player with an unblemished record, the girlfriend of the prom king, the girl with not a smudge on her academic record, the guy who is possibly a drug dealer and a guy who owns a gossip app who is always ready to dig the dirt on the schools dirty secrets. Five enter but only four leave alive... And they are all suspected of murder. 
 
The story is told from the points of view of the four main characters and how their lives unfold after an investigation gets underway. In the process all of them find a different way of looking at the world and realise that they should never take their lives for granted. 
 
The story is quick paced with believable characters and it will certainly be one of those books where you say to yourself 'just one more chapter!' I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it made me question and think about the judgements we make when we meet people for the first time but also the impact of our actions on others. 
 
For fans of Agatha Christie and Gossip Girl!  

If you would like to know more about Karen, why not check out her website here

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Firstly I would like to say a massive thank you to Anderson Press for sending me a copy of this book... 
 
I knew a pitiful amount about Ada Lovelace before I starting reading this book but feel, now I have finished it, like I have really got under her skin and have been lead through her inner workings. 
 
The book is fictionalisation of Ada's life from the age of five to after the age of nineteen. We see how she perceives the world and how her life was heavily influenced not only by her famous father, Lord Byron but also by her overbearing mother. However, Ada is a woman of ideas and fights against the social norms that are expected of women of the day... 
 
This book was truly fascinating and it also got me to do research of my own into some of the historical characters who turn up and influence Ada in some way. 
 
If you are someone who loves nonfiction and finding out about famous names in history this book is for you. With chapters which act as snippets from Ada's life this book is intelligently written with no hint of belittling it's audience. The vocabulary is diverse and challenging (which I really liked) and definitely reflected the inner workings of Ada and the high level of education that she received during her life.
 
Fantastic book and I loved every page. 

If you would like to know more about Julia Gray click here

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Midnight’s Twins is a fantastic debut novel that takes you into the fantasy world of Anwnn—a dreamer's world that mirrors reality. Fern and Ollie join a magical order of knights who fight to keep people safe from nightmares; but reality and the dream world blur, and while Fern and Ollie repair their fractured relationship, they also unpick their dead mother’s life and how it impacts their future and survival.

Midnight’s Twins is a book that’s packed with emotion, struggle and friendship. It’s beautifully written and easy to escape into. A definite recommendation for lovers of YA fantasy.      

For more information on Holly click here
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