Victoria Moschou's Blog, page 102
February 25, 2019
March TBR
I told you I’m not good at sticking to my TBRs. This is me proving I was telling the truth.
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Hello awesome nerds and happy Monday everyone!
February was so freaking busy and kinda awkward in so many different ways. I had a lot of work at the office, I had to make up for some tutoring classes and Spanish classes, I had dance lessons every single weekend, because our annual ball is approaching, the Guardian of the Auras was officially released on February 21st, and there were some details I had to discuss with my editor for an upcoming novel, which left me almost zero time to write and read. Plus, I feel like I am, YET AGAIN, in a reading slump and it’s too early in the year for something like that.
That is the reason why my TBR for the month of March will consist of some familiar books, and a few new editions.
So, in the month of March I’ll try to read:
1. A Torch Against The Night (An Ember in the Ashes, #2), by Sabaa Tahir
2. The Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy, #6), by Richelle Mead
3. A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1), by George R. R. Martin
4. Sawkill Girls, by Claire Legrand
5. A Curse so Dark and Lonely (A Curse so Dark and Lonely, #1), by Brigid Kemmerer
Also, I will try to finish Queen of Air and Darkness, by Cassandra Clare, because I feel like I should’ve finished this book last year and yet I didn’t.
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Why I mentioned A Curse so Dark and Lonely, despite having read it in January, you may ask? Well, because I’m 99.9% sure that this is going to be the featured book for the month of February by FairyLoot and I definitely need to reread a new favourite of mine.
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Honestly, dearies. If you haven’t read this beauty yet, I highly recommend you do! 
Which books are you planning on reading this March? Do you stick to your TBR piles or are you more of a mood reader?
Thank you all for being here once again! I look forward to reading your March TBRs and comments in the comment section down below.
I want you to know that I do not take your presence here for granted and that I am truly grateful that you keep coming back to my humble blog-home! 
February 23, 2019
February Book Haul
Hello awesome people and welcome to the first book haul of 2019!
I cannot believe that February is almost over because that reminds me I haven’t read all the books I was planning on finishing this month! 
February 21, 2019
THE AURAS’ CHEST GIVEAWAY
Hello awesome nerds and happy book birthday to me and my debut novel, Guardian of the Auras, the first book in The Auras’ Chest series.
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There are so many things I want to say, so many people to thank, but I will try to keep this post short.
As you have probably already figured out by the title of this post, I decided to host YET AGAIN a giveaway and offer a PAPERBACK COPY OF THE GUARDIAN OF THE AURAS to one lucky person.
All you have to do is follow that link, answer a pretty simple question and… that’s it!
May the Valiant Four be with you and may the odds be ever in your favour, dearies!
Thank you all for being here once again. It means the world to me and I want you to know that I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted.
Love you all to Pluto and back, awesome creatures! Thank you for following me in this big adventure! This is just the beginning…
Till next time… Toodles!
February 18, 2019
Project Geek ~ Chapter 5
Hello, hello awesome nerds and happy Monday!
I can’t believe that we’re already halfway through February! Why is 2019 passing by so quickly? 
February 16, 2019
Behind the scenes: A day in the life of a Book Blogger
Writing has always been my refuge, my salvation. Whether I work on my projects or on blog posts, writing helps me feel… free. Which is why I thought it would be nice to share with you a typical day in my life; the life of a book blogger, who will soon publish her debut novel (by the way, the book is now available for pre-order and you can get your copy here) and recently started her own business of wedding planning. Oh yes… I need my days to be full and I cannot lie about it!
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To be clear, not all days are equally busy, for I don’t feel equally inspired every day. But, I wake up every morning at about 6:30am, have my breakfast, get ready for work, grab a coffee and read a little bit, before having to fully focus on the amount of work I have to finish every single day.
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Then, around 1 to 2pm, while having my lunch break, I work either on blog post ideas or an actual post, depending on whether I have already planned the posts I want to upload every single month or whether I want to mix things up a little bit and just go with the flow. What’s certain though is that lately I try to combine both of those two options and actually write at least two posts per day, depending on how hectic my day in general is.
After I finish from work, I either have to go to my Spanish class or head to my tutoring classes (yes, I’m both a student and a teacher), or, if I’m extra lucky, I simply go home and work on my own writing projects. And that’s probably the best time of the day for me. Coffee, the fictional worlds and characters I’ve created and a couple of hours to get to see them again. Write about their adventures, dreams, hopes and fears.
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For the past couple of months, my nights are pretty much the same. Either I watch series on Netflix (I’m OBSESSED with Vikings lately) or read a book, because a book blogger always needs a good book review for her blog. And, if neither I nor Apo are super busy the other day, we may go to the movies or for a quick drink. Both of us try to finish our work by 3pm every Saturday, so we can spend the rest of the day and Sunday together.
And that’s, more or less, how my days as a book blogger pass. Work, brainstorming, writing, Spanish and tutoring classes, more brainstorming, more writing, reading and gallons upon gallons of coffee. But you surely have figured that out by now. 
February 14, 2019
BOOK REVIEW: The Storm Crow, by Kalyn Josephson ~ A fascinating debut novel *SPOILER FREE*
~THE STORM CROW, BY KALYN JOSEPHSON
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Happy Valentine’s Day, awesome nerds, and as this day is all about love, let me tell you about a book that I absolutely adored. I’m taking about none other than The Storm Crow, by Kalyn Josephson, the first novel in a new, thrilling and quite complex YA Fantasy series.
“Eragon meets And I Darken in this thrilling new fantasy debut that follows a fallen princess as she ignites a rebellion to bring back the magical elemental crows that were taken from her people.
In the tropical kingdom of Rhodaire, magical, elemental Crows are part of every aspect of life…until the Illucian empire invades, destroying everything.
That terrible night has thrown Princess Anthia into a deep depression. Her sister Caliza is busy running the kingdom after their mother’s death, but all Thia can do is think of all she has lost.
But when Caliza is forced to agree to a marriage between Thia and the crown prince of Illucia, Thia is finally spurred into action. And after stumbling upon a hidden Crow egg in the rubble of a rookery, she and her sister devise a dangerous plan to hatch the egg in secret and get back what was taken from them.
TW: Depression”
The Storm Crow is an exceptionally well-written book, with an interesting and unique magic system, political schemes and plot twists. It was filled with elemental magic, amazing world-building and fierce, unforgettable, very hard to resist characters. I enjoyed the descriptions and the narration, the pacing was quite fast, except perhaps towards the middle of the book, and the ending simply left me craving for more.
To go in more depth, I really enjoyed the feminist turn this book took and I loved that every single character was well-developed and one-of-a-kind, all of them in their own way. Such was my love for two, or actually three, characters that I literally hurt and cried, when they hurt and cried as well. I loved the way Kalyn Josephson dealt with depression and grief. It truly allowed me to connect with Anthia and once I cared enough about her as a character, I was sure I’d love the book.
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What I didn’t like was that one of the love interests (because I still root for the other one) felt a bit indifferent, maybe flat, compared to the rest of the characters and his backstory wasn’t exactly what I expected it to be. What’s more, there was no chemistry between him and Thia, again in comparison to what happened between her and the other possible love interest, right from the beginning of the book.
Overall though, it was a very promising start of an intriguing new series, despite the fact that I saw the final revelation coming, pretty much from the beginning of the book. Still, I felt truly lucky that I got an ARC of this book, thanks to FairyLoot, and I highly recommend you guys pick it up once the book is released. The Storm Crow is definitely perfect for the fans of Eragon and And I Darken, as well as for those who loved Furyborn and Beyond A Darkened Shore.
I will definitely keep up with the series and I only feel sad that I have to wait so very long for the sequel to be released.
Have you guys gotten an ARC of this beauty? Do you like books that have to do with elemental magic and Norse mythology?
Thank you all for stepping by once again!
It means the world to me and I most certainly don’t take your presence here for granted.
Till next time… Toodles!
February 11, 2019
My Life in Books Tag
Hello awesome people and happy Monday everyone!
A few weeks ago I found on The Book Nut a super fun tag and so I thought I should give it a go. So, without further ado, let’s get to the My Life in Books tag.
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1. PICK A BOOK FOR EACH OF YOUR INITIALS
V ~ Vicious, by V. E. Schwab
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I ~ Insurgent, by Veronica Roth
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C ~ City of Glass, by Cassandra Clare
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T ~ To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, by Jenny Han
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O ~ Onyx & Ivory, by Mindee Arnett
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R ~ Red Sister, by Mark Lawrence
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I ~ If I Stay, by Gayle Forman
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A ~ A Court of Mist and Fury, by Sarah J. Maas
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2. COUNT YOUR AGE ALONG YOUR BOOKSHELF. WHAT IS IT?
Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2), by Suzanne Collins
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I’m 26 years old and though I have to rearrange my bookshelves, I was pleased to find out that this was the book matching my age. I mean, come on now, dearies! The Hunger Games is the ultimate dystopian series!
3. PICK A BOOK SET IN YOUR COUNTRY/CITY
Circe, by Madeline Miller
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I know it’s mythology and all, but there are so many references to Greece in this one, plus Circe was such an amazing book that I had to pick it!
4. PICK A BOOK THAT REPRESENTS A PLACE YOU’D LIKE TO TRAVEL TO
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Velaris is the fictional town I want to visit ever since I read A Court of Mist and Fury. Since A Court of Frost and Starlight takes place there, I simply couldn’t pick any other book, even though many claimed that this book was completely unnecessary. And even though I still dream of visiting Hogwarts and Middle Earth every other weekend… 
February 9, 2019
Q&A Post
Hello awesome nerds!
We’re already two months in 2019, and so far things seem brighter than they were around this time last year.
February 7, 2019
BOOK REVIEW: Fire & Heist, by Sarah Beth Durst ~ The first 1-star-rated book of 2019
~Fire & Heist, by Sarah Beth Durst
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It’s always hard to write a review about a book I didn’t like. I keep thinking of all the potential this book could have, of all the things that could’ve gone right and yet they didn’t, of all the hopes and expectations I had about the characters…
It gets even harder when I have been misled by the blurb. For I expect dragons to appear and save the day and all I get is a 16-year-old whiner, a drama queen that never stops to show off and manipulate people, simply to achieve her ultimate goals.
Oh, yes. I hate Sky, the main character of Fire & Heist, and I’m not ashamed of it.
But let’s get things from the beginning, shall we?
“In Sky Hawkins’s family, leading your first heist is a major milestone–even more so than learning to talk, walk, or do long division. It’s a chance to gain power and acceptance within your family, and within society. But stealing your first treasure can be complicated, especially when you’re a wyvern–a human capable of turning into a dragon.
Embarking on a life of crime is never easy, and Sky discovers secrets about her mother, who recently went missing, the real reason her boyfriend broke up with her, and a valuable jewel that could restore her family’s wealth and rank in their community.
With a handpicked crew by her side, Sky knows she has everything she needs to complete her first heist, and get her boyfriend and mother back in the process. But then she uncovers a dark truth about were-dragon society–a truth more valuable and dangerous than gold or jewels could ever be.”
LIE NUMBER 1:
She wasn’t able to turn into a dragon! Like AT ALL! She couldn’t even breath fire, for crying out loud! So, why mislead your readers into thinking that they’re going to see a dragon leading a heist and increasing the family treasure, when in fact, all they get to see is a teenage girl whining 24/7?
That’s a dragon…
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And that’s what Sky does…
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LIE NUMBER 2:
Where the hell is the crime? Literally, all that happens throughout the whole novel is talking about stealing this jewel. Not actually stealing it, but TALKING about stealing it!
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I expected some action to take place, especially considering that there are dragons involved (?) and that this heist may lead to answers (?). But no… all we get is a bunch of kids goofing around and talking about how they will execute this heist. Which leads me too…
LIE NUMBER 3:
This “crew” Sky gathered never seemed to participate willingly in all this. And yes, maybe that’s just me, but a) she started whining to her ex-boyfriend, because his father was the one that had that precious jewel, b) she bribed the warlock who could get her into the vault where the jewel was, and c) she basically manipulated BIG TIME her mortal classmate (because, please, this wasn’t a friend by any means), because that classmate had a thing about magic, unicorns and all that jazz.
With all that being said (and folks, we simply covered the synopsis of the book), let’s get to the actual review!
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Fire & Heist was one of those books I regretted reading.
It reminded me so much of those Disney Channel movies and it felt more like a MG rather than a YA book that it put me to sleep most of the times I picked it up to read it. 
BOOK REVIEW: Fire & Heist, by Sarah Beth Durst ~ The first 1-star-rated book of 2019
~Fire & Heist, by Sarah Beth Durst
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It’s always hard to write a review about a book I didn’t like. I keep thinking of all the potential this book could have, of all the things that could’ve gone right and yet they didn’t, of all the hopes and expectations I had about the characters…
It gets even harder when I have been misled by the blurb. For I expect dragons to appear and save the day and all I get is a 16-year-old whiner, a drama queen that never stops to show off and manipulate people, simply to achieve her ultimate goals.
Oh, yes. I hate Sky, the main character of Fire & Heist, and I’m not ashamed of it.
But let’s get things from the beginning, shall we?
“In Sky Hawkins’s family, leading your first heist is a major milestone–even more so than learning to talk, walk, or do long division. It’s a chance to gain power and acceptance within your family, and within society. But stealing your first treasure can be complicated, especially when you’re a wyvern–a human capable of turning into a dragon.
Embarking on a life of crime is never easy, and Sky discovers secrets about her mother, who recently went missing, the real reason her boyfriend broke up with her, and a valuable jewel that could restore her family’s wealth and rank in their community.
With a handpicked crew by her side, Sky knows she has everything she needs to complete her first heist, and get her boyfriend and mother back in the process. But then she uncovers a dark truth about were-dragon society–a truth more valuable and dangerous than gold or jewels could ever be.”
LIE NUMBER 1:
She wasn’t able to turn into a dragon! Like AT ALL! She couldn’t even breath fire, for crying out loud! So, why mislead your readers into thinking that they’re going to see a dragon leading a heist and increasing the family treasure, when in fact, all they get to see is a teenage girl whining 24/7?
That’s a dragon…
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And that’s what Sky does…
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LIE NUMBER 2:
Where the hell is the crime? Literally, all that happens throughout the whole novel is talking about stealing this jewel. Not actually stealing it, but TALKING about stealing it!
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I expected some action to take place, especially considering that there are dragons involved (?) and that this heist may lead to answers (?). But no… all we get is a bunch of kids goofing around and talking about how they will execute this heist. Which leads me too…
LIE NUMBER 3:
This “crew” Sky gathered never seemed to participate willingly in all this. And yes, maybe that’s just me, but a) she started whining to her ex-boyfriend, because his father was the one that had that precious jewel, b) she bribed the warlock who could get her into the vault where the jewel was, and c) she basically manipulated BIG TIME her mortal classmate (because, please, this wasn’t a friend by any means), because that classmate had a thing about magic, unicorns and all that jazz.
With all that being said (and folks, we simply covered the synopsis of the book), let’s get to the actual review!
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Fire & Heist was one of those books I regretted reading.
It reminded me so much of those Disney Channel movies and it felt more like a MG rather than a YA book that it put me to sleep most of the times I picked it up to read it.
