daughter of the pirate king – The Bookish Mutant

Goodreads Monday (9/6/21) – Compass Rose

Posted on September 6, 2021 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Monday, bibliophiles!

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme created by Lauren’s Page Turners. All you have to do to participate is pick a book from your Goodreads TBR, and explain why you want to read it.

I put this one on my TBR in early 2020, and I’ve desperately been searching for it ever since. Why? Because if there’s one thing better than pirate books…it’s space pirate books. Enough said.

Let’s begin, shall we?

GOODREADS MONDAY (9/6/21) – COMPASS ROSE by Anna Burke

Amazon.com: Compass Rose (A Compass Rose Novel, 1): 9781612941196: Burke, Anna: Books

Blurb from Goodreads:

Rose was born facing due north, with an inherent perception of cardinal points flowing through her veins. Her uncanny sense of direction earns her a coveted place among the Archipelago Fleet elite, but it also attracts the attention of Admiral Comita, who sends her on a secret mission deep into pirate territory. Accompanied by a ragtag crew of mercenaries and under the command of Miranda, a captain as bloodthirsty as she is alluring, Rose discovers the hard way that even the best sense of direction won’t be enough to keep her alive if she can’t learn to navigate something far more dangerous than the turbulent seas. Aboard the mercenary ship, Man o’ War, Rose learns quickly that trusting the wrong person can get you killed—and Miranda’s crew have no intention of making things easy for her—especially the Captain’s trusted first mate, Orca, who is as stubborn as she is brutal.

So why do I want to read this?

Moon Jelly GIFs - Get the best GIF on GIPHY — unrelated, but love is stored in the moon jellyfish

Pirate books are hit-or-miss for me, but when they’re good, they’re FANTASTIC. (See: The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea, Daughter of the Pirate King). But there’s one aspect that gives me lots of hope: SCI-FI pirates.

Rose does seem a little chosen-one-ish, but her being born facing due north is an interesting concept for a character – especially with pirates and political intrigue involved. Plus, it can’t protect her forever – there’s bound to be all sorts of pirate gangs and governments after her, right? This could be interesting.

And beyond that, it seems unapologetically queer! There’s a wlw romance in Compass Rose, and I’m overjoyed to see three of my favorite things to find in books converge: pirates, sci-fi, and queer rep.

In short: it’s sci-fi, queer, and there’s pirates. This better not disappoint.

GIF felicity jones - animated GIF on GIFER

Today’s song:

That’s it for this week’s Goodreads Monday! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Goodreads Monday

Goodreads Monday (7/19/21) – Warrior of the Wild

Posted on July 19, 2021July 19, 2021 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Monday, bibliophiles!

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme created by Lauren’s Page Turners. All you have to do to participate is pick a book from your Goodreads TBR, and explain why you want to read it.

I’ve been a huge fan of Tricia Levenseller for years after how much I adored her Daughter of the Pirate King duology, but I haven’t gotten around to reading anything else of hers. This one came shortly after the duology, but I haven’t read it yet – but given how well she handled fantasy, I bet this one will be just as good!

Let’s begin, shall we?

GOODREADS MONDAY (7/19/21) – WARRIOR OF THE WILD by Tricia Levenseller

Amazon.com: Warrior of the Wild (9781250189943): Levenseller, Tricia: Books

Blurb from Goodreads:

How do you kill a god?

As her father’s chosen heir, eighteen-year-old Rasmira has trained her whole life to become a warrior and lead her village. But when her coming-of-age trial is sabotaged and she fails the test, her father banishes her to the monster-filled wilderness with an impossible quest: To win back her honor, she must kill the oppressive god who claims tribute from the villages each year—or die trying.

So why do I want to read this?

Looking back, I’m really not sure if I would even read this if not for the fact that it was written by Tricia Levenseller. From the synopsis, it looks like your standard YA fantasy – botched coming-of-age ritual, impossible tasks, strange realms. But after how much I enjoyed Daughter of the Pirate King and Daughter of the Siren Queen, I have utmost faith in this novel.

With how well Levenseller handled both her compelling and determined female protagonists to her lush worlds filled with unique characters, Warrior of the Wild would be so exciting in her hands! I’m not sure how Rasmira will measure up to how wonderful Alosa Kalligan was, but I trust Tricia Levenseller enough to make her as compelling as the former.

In short: Tricia Levenseller sold me on this one, but I’ll absolutely see this one through.

Animated gif about gif in – fantasy lives – by ran (キング)

Today’s song:

That’s it for this week’s Goodreads Monday! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Book Tags

Enola Holmes Book Tag

Posted on January 16, 2021 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hey there, bibliophiles!

You probably noticed that I didn’t post anything for about a week and a half or so. The first two weeks of school were just really overwhelming and I had quite a lot of projects to do and quizzes to study for, so I had to take a little time away. But things are starting to go back to a manageable level school-wise, so I’m back. For now. And hey, three-day weekend!

Anyway, I went through some of my tags that I’ve been wanting to do, and I found this one! Enola Holmes was absolutely a series that shaped my childhood, and even though I found the Netflix movie to be a bit of a disappointment, I think we can all agree that Millie Bobby Brown is phenomenal.

This tag was created by Cielo @ Bellerose Reads, and that’s where I originally found it as well. 🙂

Rules

List the rules and the prompts of the tag in your post
Thank the person who tagged you and pingback to their post
Give credits to the creator of the tag, Bellerose Reads, and pingback to her post.
Tag at least 5 people to do the tag.

Let’s begin, shall we?

Enola Holmes: strong woman is the new black – The Movievaures

🌹THE ENOLA HOLMES BOOK TAG 🌹

ENOLA HOLMES: An independent and smart female protagonist

Amazon.com: Daughter of the Pirate King (9781250095961): Levenseller, Tricia: Books

Alosa Kalligan from Daughter of the Pirate King was my first thought–strong-willed, independent, and the captain of a pirate ship at just 17. Gotta love Alosa.

SHERLOCK HOLMES: Your favorite mystery/thriller book

Amazon.com: Grown (9780062840356): Jackson, Tiffany D: Books

I don’t read much mystery, but Grown was such a raw and powerful book! Monday’s Not Coming was incredible too…I’ve only read three of her books, but Tiffany D. Jackson is definitely a master of the YA mystery genre.

EUDORIA HOLMES: A character that defies the rules of their society

Amazon.com: How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse: Book One of the Thorne Chronicles eBook: Eason, K.: Kindle Store

Rory Thorne from How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse is the perfect example for this prompt–not just defying the royal family by taking control of her situation and starting a revolution, but…I mean, eventually becoming a space pirate is the ultimate defiant move when you’re a princess, I would think.

MYCROFT HOLMES: The most annoying character you know

Amazon.com: The Hunger Games (9780439023481): Collins, Suzanne: Books

It’s been a while since I’ve read The Hunger Games, but I haaaaaaaaaaated Gale. The whole “catnip” nickname was just an instant dealbreaker…[vomits]

LORD TEWKSBURY: A character you want to protect at all costs

Amazon.com: The Gilded Wolves: A Novel (The Gilded Wolves, 1) (9781250144546): Chokshi, Roshani: Books

Zofia from The Gilded Wolves is just too good for this world. And now that I’ve read book 2…[cries]

INSPECTOR LESTRADE: A loyal side character

Amazon.com: Raybearer (9781419739828): Ifueko, Jordan: Books

Sanjeet from Raybearer always stayed by Tarisai’s side, and he was the PERFECT side character! I think he was my favorite character in the whole book, honestly…

MISS HARRISON: A book that aged like milk

The Familiars: Epstein, Adam Jay, Jacobson, Andrew: 9780061961106: Amazon.com: Books

Whew, this one’s a throwback for me…

The Familiars was my favorite series for a while when I was in elementary school, but even when it was still coming out, I remember being super disappointed by the fourth book. (Unnecessary, didn’t like the style of the illustrations, cliffhanger that was never resolved…) I’ll still always have a soft spot for this series, but I remember outwardly cringing at the writing the last time I flipped through it…

LINTHORN: A character you hated from the very beginning

This one was a major disappointment…

Pru from Instant Karma bothered me almost from the get-go…she was just so demanding and bratty. (And hey, I get being mad for getting a C on a group project, but…would it really kill you to settle for a B?)

EDITH: Your favorite book with Black rep

Amazon.com: An Unkindness of Ghosts (9781617755880): Solomon, Rivers: Books

It was super hard to pick just one book for this prompt, but I read An Unkindness of Ghosts last summer, and it blew me away!

I TAG:

Erin @ Reading on a Star
Cherelle @ A Bolt out of the Book
Phoenix @ Books with Wings
Allison @ Just a Bookworm
Riddhi @ Whispering Stories
Ahaana @ Windows to Worlds
Anyone else who wants to participate! If you see this post, consider yourself tagged! (And if I tagged you and you haven’t read/watched Enola Holmes or you didn’t like it, my bad!)

The World Is Quiet Here — Enola Holmes (2020)

Today’s song:

NEW JULIEN BAKER AND IT’S ABSOLUTELY TRANSCENDENTAL (plus this video is INCREDIBLE)

That’s it for this book tag! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Books, Top 5 Saturday

Top 5 Saturday (6/6/20)–Books Set On or Near the Sea 🌊

Posted on June 6, 2020June 6, 2020 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Saturday, bibliophiles!

Time for another Top 5 Saturday! This was originally started by Devouring Books, and it sounded like such a fun post to take part in. Today’s topic is books set by or near the sea.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE:

6/6/20 — Books Set Near/On the Sea

6/13/20 — Books with One Word Titles

6/20/20 — Books You’d Give a Second Chance

6/27/20 — Books with Morally Grey Characters

Rules!

Share your top 5 books of the current topic– these can be books that you want to read, have read and loved, have read and hated, you can do it any way you want.
Tag the original post (This one!)
Tag 5 people

Let’s begin, shall we?

Breaking Down The New Hopes And Shadowed Empires In Star Wars: The ...

Summer of Salt, Katrina Leno

Here’s a story set by the sea, in the island town of…wait for it…By-the-Sea.

Fear the Drowning Deep, Sarah Glenn Marsh

Amazon.com: Fear the Drowning Deep (9781510703483): Marsh, Sarah ...

Mystery, witches, and disappearances in a coastal town in 1913.

Daughter of the Pirate King, Tricia Levenseller

Amazon.com: Daughter of the Pirate King (9781250095961 ...

Pirates, sirens, and a certain powerful, teenage pirate captain. What else could you possibly want in this kind of book?

Songs from the Deep, Kelly Powell

Amazon.com: Songs from the Deep (9781534438071): Powell, Kelly: Books

I read this one a little over a month ago, and I loved the small-town mystery and sirens.

Ashes on the Waves, Mary Lindsey

This one was recommended to me by the president of my school’s book club last year, and it was an interesting retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s poem Annabel Lee.

I TAG ANYONE WHO WANTS TO PARTICIPATE!

The Master Ocean GIF by The Good Films - Find & Share on GIPHY

Today’s song:

NEW MUSIC FROM ERASURE

BOTTOM TEXT

That’s it for today’s Top 5 Saturday! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Book Tags, Books, Movies

Star Wars Book Tag (+ an update or two)

Posted on May 21, 2020June 23, 2020 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

I’m back, everyone! Happy Thursday!

I’m finally out of school for the year! Officially halfway through high school…whew…

But anyway, the AP exam and finals weren’t all that bad. For a few classes, they canceled finals altogether, and others just had a paper or a lab report in place of a written test (REJOICE!). I did pretty well on almost all of them, but we’ll see about AP…

Other than that, I’ve had a good week and a half since I’ve taken a break. I got into an unfortunate loop of finding one good book to read, then having a slump of three- or two-star books in between. Luckily, I did get a fair amount of good books in. I also listened to a lot of Spiritualized, thanks to my dad (and by a lot, I mean a LOT), got to a scene that I’ve been picturing in my head for YEARS on my WIP, and the weather’s starting to warm up, which is both a blessing and a curse.

Now, back to our scheduled program.

I found this tag over at SMELLFOY CAN READ?, and the tag was created by Elisabeth Paige and Joana Sousa. As a (pretty much) lifelong fan of all things Star Wars, I was absolutely ELATED to find this tag.

So let’s begin, shall we?

R2-D2: A book that made you laugh out loud

Without a doubt, Good Omens had me CACKLING.

PADME AMIDALA: A kick-butt female character

My first thought was Alosa from Daughter of the Pirate King. It takes a certain kind of person to be able to be a captain of a formidable pirate ship at the ripe old age of 17.

LEIA ORGANA: Best or worst love triangle

Star Wars GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY — On another note, this is my favorite movie line of all time. Hands down.

Leia does not deserve the subject matter of this part of the tag…

I…hate love triangles in general, but for now, I’d just say the love triangle in the Hunger Gamestrilogy. 50% because Gale is repulsive, and 50% because that’s sadly what a lot of people tend to remember/take away from the series, as opposed to…y’know, the dystopian commentary and whatnot…

LUKE SKYWALKER: A rising star author, or a new author you’ve discovered and absolutely love

I’ve just started to discover Sy Montgomery’s nonfiction novels, and even though I’ve only read The Soul of an Octopus, I absolutely ADORED it. I have How to Be a Good Creature on my list as well.

ANAKIN SKYWALKER: A book or series that started out well and then became bad

Without a doubt, the Shatter Me series. I was already salty about how the trilogy ended (Warner is awful, change my mind), but then after book 4, it just took a sharp left turn into the flat-out ridiculous. Such a shame.

QUI-GONN JINN: Worst character death (SPOILERS)

Hmm…lots to choose from…

My first thought was Zin’s death in The Battle for WondLa. (Yes, we’re going back to that…) He was one of my favorite characters, but he did NOT have to go out in such a completely twisted way…I won’t go into the gory details, but it’s rough to read.

HAN SOLO: A book with a lot of sass

Aurora Rising has no short supply at sassy, sarcastic writing, and the same can be said for the characters. (*coughcough FINIAN coughcough*)

EMPEROR PALPATINE: Best world-building

I think The Black Witch takes the cake for this one. There was clearly so much care put into everything from the history to the magical races, and everything in between.

BEN/OBI-WAN KENOBI: A book you went in with low expectations and that blew you away

Star Wars Obiwan Kenobi GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY — “General Kenobi…”

I didn’t have high expectations for The Looking Glass, but I was pleasantly surprised by the lush writing–not to mention, the great music references.

YODA: A book that taught you something or that made you grow

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft taught me volumes about the essentials of writing. I still try to take Stephen King’s advice to heart.

DARTH VADER: Favorite Villain

Hmmm…it’s a hard decision, but I’ve have to go with Magneto.

Ian Mckellan Magneto GIF by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment ... — All hail Sir Ian McKellen

I TAG ANY FELLOW STAR WARS FANS WHO WANT TO PARTICIPATE!

Today’s song:

Soccer Mommy + Jay Som =

That’s it for this book tag! Have a wonderful rest of your day, take care of yourselves, and may the Force be with you!

Book Tags, Books

Wanderlust Book Tag

Posted on May 1, 2020 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

book tags header.jpg

Happy Friday, bibliophiles!

I found this tag over at Leigh Hecking’s blog, and I figured it would be a good tag for right now–since we can’t travel in quarantine, why not travel to all sorts of amazing places in books?

Okay, I know how corny that sounded, but really, I swear books have a property to magically transport you anywhere, if the writing’s good enough. I was reading The Black Witch yesterday, and I swear that the imagery made me smell freshly fallen rain on the grass. OOH.

Aaaaaanyway, this tag was created by Reading by Starlight.

THE RULES:

Mention the creator of the tag and link back to original post [Alexandra @ Reading by Starlight].
Thank the blogger who tagged you.
Answer the 10 questions below using any genre.
Tag 5+ friends.

SECRETS AND LIES: A book set in a small, sleepy town

Amazon.com: How to Hang a Witch (9780553539479): Mather, Adriana ...

Salem isn’t necessarily “sleepy,” but how it’s depicted in How to Hang a Witch certainly gives off those vibes.

SALT AND SAND: A book with a beachside community

Amazon.com: Summer of Salt (9780062493620): Leno, Katrina: Books

Hey, Summer of Salt even has salt in the title! What a lovely book 💗

HERE THERE BE DRAGONS: A book with a voyage on the high seas

Amazon.com: Daughter of the Pirate King (9781250095961 ...

I need to go back and re-read Daughter of the Pirate King at some point, I remember loving it…

TREAD LIGHTLY: A book set down a murky river or jungle

Amazon.com: A Conspiracy of Stars (Whitecoat's Daughter ...

Nothing creepier than a jungle on an alien planet, right? I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of A Conspiracy of Stars.

FROZEN WASTES: A book with a frost-bitten atmosphere

Even the Darkest Stars : Heather Fawcett : 9780062463395

Even the Darkest Stars should instantly take the cake here. After all, it’s inspired by some of the early expeditions of Mt. Everest.

THE BOONIES: A book with rough or isolated terrain

Amazon.com: The Pioneer (9780062658067): Tyler, Bridget: Books

The Pioneer has such a strange and fascinating–as well as uncharted by humans–landscape that I loved exploring.

HINTERLANDS AND COWBOYS: A book with a western-esque setting

…Um, I can’t think of anything that I’ve read off the top of my head…might have to skip this one…

Im So Sorry GIFs - Get the best GIF on GIPHY

LOOK LIVELY: A book set across sweeping desert sands

Amazon.com: We Hunt the Flame (Sands of Arawiya) (9780374311544 ...

I read We Hunt the Flame last summer, and my memory’s a little shaky, but I loved it!

WILD AND UNTAMED: A book set in the heart of the woods

Amazon.com: Cursed (9781534425330): Wheeler, Thomas, Miller, Frank ...

I still don’t understand why Cursed has such a low rating, I found it such a riveting reimagining of Arthurian legend.

WILDEST DREAMS: A whimsical book shrouded in magic

Amazon.com: The Black Witch: An Epic Fantasy Novel (The Black ...

I just finished The Black Witch…AND I’M ABSOLUTELY SHOOK. EXPECT A REVIEW IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS OR SO.

I tag:

And anyone else who wants to participate! Have fun!

Today’s song:

MAKING A DOOR LESS OPEN IS HERE! Definitely expect a review of this one soon…

That’s it for this book tag! Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

thank you for reading.jpg

Book Tags, Books

The Unpopular Opinions Book Tag

Posted on March 20, 2020March 20, 2020 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

book tags header.jpg

Happy Friday, bibliophiles!

I found this tag at A Little Haze. You all know how fiery I can get when ranting about a book/series/trope that I hate, so I’ll channel all of my bookish salt into this one.

Image result for salty gif

Let’s begin…

A POPULAR BOOK OR SERIES YOU DIDN’T LIKE

Red Queen has gotten BOATLOADS of hype over the years, and I just don’t. Understand. At. All. IT’S EVERY BAD YA TROPE ROLLED INTO A SINGLE MONSTROSITY. UGH.

Image result for watson i don't understand gif

A POPULAR BOOK OR SERIES THAT EVERYONE SEEMS TO HATE BUT YOU LOVE

Image result for daughter of the pirate king

I mean…?

From what I can tell, Daughter of the Pirate King has been fairly well-received (and has a solid 3.98 on Goodreads), but both my mom and I have noticed that when the bad reviews come in, they are positively scathing. I know this doesn’t really count, but I couldn’t think of any other books/series.

A LOVE TRIANGLE WHERE THE MAIN CHARACTER ENDED UP WITH THE PERSON THAT YOU DID NOT WANT THEM TO END UP WITH OR AN OTP YOU DON’T LIKE

UUUUUUGGGGGGHHHH. I am still FURIOUS over the fact that Juliette ended up with Warner. He’s just…I don’t know, they’re trying to make it seem like he’s “changed” or whatever, but I can’t see past the manipulative, controlling creep he was in the first two books or so. I’ve jumped off the Shatter Me ship anyway, after the disappointment of Defy Me, but this was my first dealbreaker.

Image result for ew gif

A POPULAR BOOK GENRE YOU HARDLY EVER REACH FOR

Mystery. I mean, it’ll do in a pinch, but it’s never been my go-to.

Image result for shrug gif

A POPULAR OR BELOVED CHARACTER THAT YOU DO NOT LIKE

As much as I adore the Harry Potter series…the chosen one himself really doesn’t do it for me. I suppose he’s got some admirable qualities, but I think it was his actions in Order of the Phoenix that really ruined it all for me. He was just so whiny…so entitled…so repulsive…

Image result for harry potter gif

A POPULAR AUTHOR YOU CAN’T SEEM TO GET INTO

Weeeeell…

I’ve only read one of his novels (Foundation), but I really haven’t taken much of a liking to Isaac Asimov. Eh…it had such a fascinating premise, but most of the book seemed to be a bunch of old white guys sitting around… “Oh, so we might all be annihilated in a matter of days? Let’s discuss…”

Image result for boring gif

A POPULAR BOOK TROPE YOU’RE TIRED OF SEEING

Love triangles. Never start well, never end well, and they create a disgustingly unnecessary (in most cases) romantic subplot. And even if you’re rooting for one party, the main character ALMOST ALWAYS, WITHOUT FAIL, PICKS WHOEVER YOU’RE ROOTING AGAINST. Disappointing.

Image result for get it out of my sight gif

A POPULAR SERIES YOU HAVE NO INTEREST IN READING

After the train wreck that was Atlantia, you can consider me all but turned off to anything else by her. Matched is no exception, and even though it may have been one of the first series of the YA Dystopia revolution, I have zero interest in it.

THE SAYING GOES “THE BOOK IS ALWAYS BETTER THAN THE FILM,” BUT WHAT FILM OR TV ADAPTATION DO YOU PREFER MORE THAN THE BOOK?

As much as I adore Roald Dahl, Wes Anderson’s adaptation of Fantastic Mr. Fox is one of the few movies that I feel surpasses its source material. Anderson expanded so much on the world that Dahl built, and brought an immeasurable amount of life to it via the gorgeous stop-motion animation.

Image result for fantastic mr fox gif

Today’s song:

I tag anyone who would like to participate!

Have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

thank you for reading.jpg

Book Tags, Books

Get To Know Ya Book Tag

Posted on January 2, 2020January 2, 2020 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy New Year, bibliophiles!

I found this tag on A Little Haze Book Blog, and I’m so excited to take part! Let’s begin, shall we?

FAVORITE BOOK OF ALL TIME

Oooh…hard decision, but if I had to pick, I’d go with Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. I read it a little under two years ago for the first time, and it’s never left my thoughts since.

FAVORITE BOOK FIVE YEARS AGO

The entire Search for WondLa trilogy captured my heart around middle school, but my favorite of the three was the beautifully written (and illustrated) and shocking finale, The Battle for WondLa.

FAVORITE DUOLOGY/TRILOGY/SERIES

Hands down, Ashley Poston’s masterful Heart of Iron duology. Both books are so lovable in every sense of the word.

LAST BOOK YOU READ

I’ll be reviewing this one later, but I just finished up Supernova, the last installment in Marissa Meyer’s Renegades trilogy. Such a stunning end to the series!

LAST POETRY BOOK YOU READ

I bought a collection of Tennyson’s poetry in April, I think. Such remarkable and heartstring-tugging words…In Memoriam was probably my favorite.

WHAT BOOK MOST INFLUENCED YOUR LIFE?

Alright, sorry, I know I keep coming back to this, but The Search for WondLa was not only my gateway to my favorite genre, science fiction, but what inspired me to be an author. Tony DiTerlizzi will never stop being my hero, just for that series alone.

BOOK THAT MADE YOU UGLY CRY

Yeeeeeeeesh, A Monster Calls SLAYED me when I first read it. I had to re-read it over twice, and both times, I ended up bawling my eyes out at the end. GOD. 😭

BOOK THAT MADE YOU LAUGH

Good Omens, without a doubt. I don’t think a book has made me laugh as much as that in a very long time.

CHARACTER YOU’D LIKE TO BE FOR A DAY

Hmm…the first character that came to mind was Alosa from Daughter of the Pirate King duology.Oh, to be a fearsome pirate queen on the high seas (with fabulous hair)…

BOOK SO GOOD YOU DREAMT ABOUT IT

I can’t quite think of any books that come to mind other than WondLa, and I’ve already mentioned that one in two of the questions, so…sorry about that.

BOOK YOU DNF’D

Oh, there’s a long, long list…

But the most recent book I DNF’d was Lifestyles of Gods and Monsters. Such an interesting concept for a plot, but the dialogue made it crash and burn. Curse you, deceptively gorgeous cover…

WHAT BOOK ARE YOU EXCITED TO READ?

I loved The Hazel Wood, and I just found out that the sequel, The Night Country, will be released on January 7th! REJOICE!

That just about wraps it up! If you’d like to do the tag, feel free to do so. Please be sure to link back to this post if you do so 🙂

Today’s song: “One and a Half Stars”–Wilco (listening to this as I wrap up this post!)

Have a lovely rest of your day, and take care of yourselves!

Books, Goodreads Monday

Goodreads Monday (12/23/19)-Viper

Posted on December 23, 2019 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Happy Monday, bibliophiles!

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme created by Lauren’s Page Turners. All you have to do to participate is pick a book from your Goodreads TBR, and explain why you want to read it.

At this point, my tactic for picking out books for Goodreads Monday is basically just picking a random number on my TBR, and then finding a book on that shelf. I forgot about this one, but I’ve only had in on my TBR for about a month, and, if all goes well, I think it could be an adventurous, fast-paced fantasy on the high seas.

Only one way to find out…

GOODREADS MONDAY (12/23/19)-VIPER by Bex Hogan

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Blurb from Goodreads:

He will make me a killer. Or he will have me killed. That is my destiny.

Seventeen-year-old Marianne is fated to one day become the Viper, defender of the Twelve Isles.

But the reigning Viper stands in her way. Corrupt and merciless, he prowls the seas in his warship, killing with impunity, leaving only pain and suffering in his wake.

He’s the most dangerous man on the ocean . . . and he is Marianne’s father.

She was born to protect the islands. But can she fight for them if it means losing her family, her home, the boy she loves – and perhaps even her life?

So why do I want to read this?

Hmmm. Intriguing.

I’m getting some good vibes from this one…if all goes well, I think it’ll at least be a feminist, swashbuckling, pirate-inspired fantasy, in the vein of Seafire and the Daughter of the Pirate King duology. From the looks of it, there’s some themes of defying one’s family to do what you know is right, which I am 100% for. And, judging from the concept of the Viper, I’m hoping for a rich history behind that. Certainly not expecting Sally Green level worldbuilding, but if handled well, I think this could be an incredibly exciting read.

Viper came out this year, but I haven’t heard about it, sadly. Rather underrated/under-talked-about compared to a few…other fantasy novels that were grossly overhyped. Either way, it’s gotten some good reviews, from the looks of it, (3.87/5 average rating on Goodreads), and I’m hoping that it’ll deliver. I’m sure it’ll be three stars, at least.

That just about wraps up this week’s Goodreads Monday! Have a lovely rest of your day, and stay tuned for more content later in the week!

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Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (4/24/18)-Daughter of the Siren Queen

Posted on April 25, 2018April 25, 2018 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hi there, everyone, and welcome to the last BRT of April 2018!

This book review will be on the spectacular sequel to Daughter of the Pirate King (see 4/10/18). If Daughter of the Pirate King was amazing, this book was downright spectacular-all of the wit, action, and fun, but with the volume turned up. Kind of a similar situation to the one I had with the Arc of a Scythe series so far, except that Daughter of the Siren Queen didn’t leave me speechless (or slightly dead inside), and it didn’t quite merit a five-star rating. But I’d say it came pretty close.

Enjoy the review!

Daughter of the Siren Queen (Daughter of the Pirate King, #2)

Alosa has now recovered all of the pieces to the ancient treasure map, reclaimed her status as the captain of her own ship, the Ava-lee, and gotten her revenge on her kidnappers.But after one of her old foes reveals a well-kept secret about her father, the Pirate King Kalligan, she is now back in danger. Now locked a deadly race against her father, Alosa and her faithful crew must recover the famed treasure…before it’s too late.

(NOTE: If I could only find a gif or YouTube clip, I would most definitely insert the “Huzzah, I’m the pirate king!” thing from MST3K right here. Sigh…)

In short, what an oustanding book! Not only was Alosa just as witty as always, but I loved getting to know her crew even more. I’m so sad that this is the end, for now…Tricia Levenseller announced on Goodreads that this series is, in fact, a duology.