Rebecca Crunden's Blog, page 46

Book Review: Of Blood and Deceit (2019)

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Of Blood and Deceit (Blood Descent, #1) by Rachel A. Collett

“Ilianna, in my kingdom, if you plan on seeing the person again, if you want to see them again, you do not say goodbye. It’s bad luck.”

Oh my gosh, this book was such a gem to stumble across!

I was initially drawn in by the gorgeous (GORGEOUS) cover and the fact that there’s a main character called Prince Castiel.

This Castiel is much different, however. He’s a magician with an immense amount of power who instantly ...

Currently Reading

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I found some really great books this week. I wrapped up reviews for An Honest Man, Paper Castles and 7 Days in Hell. I stumbled across Voice of War thanks to SPFBO, and I’m really enjoying it so far! It’s looking to be a great epic fantasy, although the opening scene was A BIT SHOCKING, YO! I also got an ARC of Wendy, Darling, which I’m liking! It’s like a dark sequel of Peter Pan, where Wendy was sent to an asylum after returning from Neverland, and when Peter finally comes back years later...

Book Review: Usha and the Big Digger (2021)

Usha and the Big Digger by Amitha Jagannath Knight

Around the world, different cultures see different pictures in the same stars.

OH. MY. GOSH. SO. FREAKING. CUUUUUUUUUUUUUTE. Every single page of this book was just so filled with joy and dance and cartwheels and stars. The artwork in this kind of reminded me of She’s Charmed and Dangerous, a card game I played when I was really little. Which is to say that I *adored* the artwork in this.

A great book about stars and perspectives fo...

Latest Additions to the TBR List.

Of Blood and Deceit by Rachel A. Collett

Magic runs in the Drakara bloodline. To seventeen-year-old Ilianna it’s a curse. Born a bastard and raised by an abusive uncle, she struggles to conceal her late-bloomed gifts, but it’s hard to hide when your uncle is king.

The kingdom of Eira recovers from over a decade of warring an overseas enemy. Ilianna trains from youth to fight in her uncle’s militia, to keep her people from the grip of the Wraith Queen, even if she’s feared by everyone exce...

Book Review: Paper Castles (2021)

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Paper Castles by B. Fox

Maybe the most beautiful things in the world are not meant to be owned or conquered or even touched. Like a rainbow or a starry sky, watching them is all you can do. And sometimes that’s enough.

\o/

Every time I find a new awesome author, I am basically Cookie in Atlantis.

There are so many wonderful lines in this book that need highlighting, but amongst my favourites are:

I always seem to be daydreaming, one foot in the ordinary and the other in an...

Book Review: Dancing in Thatha’s Footsteps (2021)

Dancing in Thatha’s Footsteps by Srividhya Venkat

Tapping quick adavus with his feet, shaping delicate mudras with his hands, and showing expressive bhavas with his eyes—everything about bharatanatyam filed his heart with joy.

This is a lovely story of young Varun, who is desperate to learn to dance and finds everything inspiring, but is made fun of by the girls at the dance school. His grandfather inspires him to dance and follow his dream. It’s super sweet and wholesome!

I really ...

Book Review: An Honest Man (2019)

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An Honest Man by Ben Fergusson

❧ audiobook review

THAT ENDING THO

IT’S PERFECTION.

I didn’t think I was going to be okay with the ending. I was really, really worried about the ending for a second there.

This book is set at the end of the Cold War, in the heart of Berlin, as Ralf and Oz fall in love.

But of course, in the end, 1989 meant neither of those things. It just meant Oz and espionage – how grand that word sounds now. And, I suppose my family, and the terrib...

Book Review: 7 Days in Hell (2020)

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7 Days in Hell by Iseult Murphy

“Run,” screamed the primal, fight or flight part of her. “Run before they eat you.”

I don’t read a whole lot of horror. (I still need to finish The Exorcist, which I’m like 1/3 of the way through.) But pitch me a horror novel (really, a novel, poem, song, etc) set in Ireland and I’m so there.

This book follows Vicky and Irene, twin sisters, and their dog Ronnie, as they take a sojourn to a small Irish town and quickly find far more than they barga...

Show Review: Superstore (2015)

I love a lot of sitcoms: Friends, Schitt’s Creek, Raising Hope, Happy Endings, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, etc, so I’m always on the lookout for more good ones. One that I discovered in lockdown is Superstore. AND IT’S SO GOOD. There’s something truly special about this show, honestly. The plot follows a group of employees at an American superstore and the struggles they face trying to make ends meet and keep good humour in the face of tremendous odds. The plot lines focus on issues like immigration...

Book Review: Jinnik (2020)

Jinnik: The Asset: A Cold War Memory by Gideon Asche

a soldier’s code to live by; a soldier’s code to die by

This story is set at the height of the Cold War, where tensions are running high between the US and the USSR. It reads like a memoir, although the epilogue notes that it’s historical fiction inspired by real events. There are also really interesting photographs included.

The atmosphere Asche sets draws you right in, especially with the added footnotes that give additional inf...