The Smell of Ink/Lukten av Trykksverte

A good while ago I read the paranormal romcom Hex Appeal by Kate Johnson and today I'll post my review of the book. Description from Goodreads Encanto meets Hocus Pocus in this perfect witchy romcom. An absolute must-read if you love Erin Sterling’s The Ex Hex and Lana Harper’s Payback’s a Witch! It’s just a bunch of hocus pocus… Essie Winterscale lives in a huge and ever-changing house in the village of Good Winter, in deepest, darkest Essex. She lives with various witches of various ages, one of whom is still a bit salty about being hanged in the 1700s, one who keeps accidentally casting fertility spells, and one who knits things that create the future. All Essie ever wanted was to have a normal life but in the end she found herself drawn back to Beldam House because she just can’t stop her witchiness (although the ability to instantly chill wine is pretty awesome, even she has to admit). Into this coven of chaos stumbles gorgeous, clueless Josh, their new landlord – and he’s ju...

Recently I managed to read The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness and today I'll post my review of the book. Description from Goodreads Fall under the spell of Diana and Matthew once more in the stunning climax to their epic tale, following A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES and SHADOW OF NIGHT. A world of witches, daemons and vampires. A manuscript which holds the secrets of their past and the key to their future. Diana and Matthew - the forbidden love at the heart of it. After travelling through time in SHADOW OF NIGHT, the second book in Deborah Harkness's enchanting series, historian and witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist Matthew Clairmont return to the present to face new crises and old enemies. At Matthew's ancestral home in France they reunite with their families - with one heart-breaking exception. But the real threat to their future is yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for the elusive manuscript Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on a terrifying urgency. ...

Recently I read the paranormal fantasy novel Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness and today I'll post my review of the book. Description from Goodreads Picking up from A Discovery of Witches’ cliffhanger ending, Shadow of Night takes Diana and Matthew on a trip through time to Elizabethan London, where they are plunged into a world of spies, magic, and a coterie of Matthew’s old friends, the School of Night. As the search for Ashmole 782 deepens and Diana seeks out a witch to tutor her in magic, the net of Matthew’s past tightens around them, and they embark on a very different—and vastly more dangerous—journey. My Thoughts on the Book Even though it's a really big book, it's still fast-paced at times, hoping that everything gets sorted out. I liked the chemistry between Diana and Matthew, and it was fun reading about Elizabethan London. There's something about the author's writing style that sucked me in and made me engaged in all the hurdles that were thrown at th...

Recently I read the middle-grade novel The Whitby Witches by Robin Jarvis and today I'll post my review of the book. Description from Goodreads When orphans Ben and Jennet arrive in the seaside town of Whitby to stay with Alice Boston, they have no idea what to expect. A lively 92-year-old, Miss Boston is unlike any other foster mother they’ve known. Ben is gifted with "the sight," which gives him the power to see things invisible to other mortals. He soon encounters the mysterious fisher folk who live under the cliffs and discovers that Alice and her friends are not quite what they seem. But a darkness is stalking the streets of Whitby, bringing with it fear and death. Could it be a ghost from the Abbey? Or a beast from hell? Unless the truth is uncovered, the town and all its inhabitants is doomed. My Thoughts on the Book The Whitby Witches was a fun and engaging read, with a well-paced plot and story-line. The characters were relatable, and some of them, like Alice, B...

As I've been fascinated by the whole Sleepy Hollow due to a certain Tim Burton movie from 1999, I couldn't resist reading the retelling Horseman by Christina Henry and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads Everyone in Sleepy Hollow knows about the Horseman, but no one really believes in him. Not even Ben Van Brunt's grandfather, Brom Bones, who was there when it was said the Horseman chased the upstart Crane out of town. Brom says that's just legend, the village gossips talking. Twenty years after those storied events, the village is a quiet place. Fourteen-year-old Ben loves to play Sleepy Hollow boys, reenacting the events Brom once lived through. But then Ben and a friend stumble across the headless body of a child in the woods near the village, and the sinister discovery makes Ben question everything the adults in Sleepy Hollow have ever said. Could the Horseman be real after all? Or does something even more sinister stalk the woods? My Thought...

Earlier this year, I read the paranormal fantasy novel A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness and today I'll post my review of the book. Description from Goodreads Deep in the heart of Oxford's Bodleian Library, Diana Bishop—a young scholar and the descendant of witches—unearths an enchanted alchemichal manuscript. Wanting nothing to do with sorcery, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery has set a fantastical underworld stirring, and soon a horde of daemons, witches, and other creatures descends upon the library. Among them is the enigmatic Matthew Clairmont, a vampire with a keen interest in the book. Equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense, A Discovery of Witches is a mesmerizing and addictive tale of passion and obsession that reveals the closely guarded secrets of an enchanted world. My Thoughts on the Book A Discovery of Witches was one of those atmospheric books that left me wanting more. I loved the writing style of the author and it...

Earlier this year, I read the fantasy erotica novella Come, My Pet by Keira Michelle Telford and today I'll post my review of the book. Description from Goodreads In a secretive chthonic cult, young and beautiful witch Mistress Coralie yearns for her ascension to the High Council—an opportunity which presents itself upon the untimely death of her aunt. With a coveted position on the Council comes more power over the coven and the opportunity to breed, thus furthering her bloodline. But first, she must select a mate. For this purpose, an elite group of anatomically gifted women are bound in servitude to the coven. These magically-enhanced companions, upon forming a lifelong bond with a Mistress, exist only to serve her sexual needs and sire her offspring, speaking only when spoken to, and obeying her every command without question. As per coven tradition, Coralie must take her pick from a coterie of willing playmates who’ve yet to secure their permanent bonds, but events seem set t...

Earlier this year, I read the novel The Deathless Girls by Kiran Millwood Hargrave and today I'll post my review of the book. Description from Goodreads They say the thirst of blood is like a madness - they must sate it. Even with their own kin. On the eve of her divining, the day she'll discover her fate, seventeen-year-old Lil and her twin sister Kizzy are captured and enslaved by the cruel Boyar Valcar, taken far away from their beloved traveller community. Forced to work in the harsh and unwelcoming castle kitchens, Lil is comforted when she meets Mira, a fellow slave who she feels drawn to in a way she doesn't understand. But she also learns about the Dragon, a mysterious and terrifying figure of myth and legend who takes girls as gifts. They may not have had their divining day, but the girls will still discover their fate... My Thoughts on the Book Personally, I found the book a bit lacklustre to say it the least. While there were a few well-written descriptions here...

I read the fantasy novel Fawkes by Nadine Brandes earlier this year, but waited to publish my review until today, as it's Bonfire Night and probably the most fitting day to publish the review. Description from Goodreads Thomas Fawkes is turning to stone, and the only cure to the Stone Plague is to join his father’s plot to assassinate the king of England. Silent wars leave the most carnage. The wars that are never declared, but are carried out in dark alleys with masks and hidden knives. Wars where color power alters the natural rhythm of 17th century London. And when the king calls for peace, no one listens until he finally calls for death. But what if death finds him first? Keepers think the Igniters caused the plague. Igniters think the Keepers did. But all Thomas knows is that the Stone Plague infecting his eye is spreading. And if he doesn’t do something soon, he’ll be a lifeless statue. So when his Keeper father, Guy Fawkes, invites him to join the Gunpowder Plot—claiming it...

A while ago, I read Dread Nation by Justina Ireland and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads At once provocative, terrifying, and darkly subversive, Dread Nation is Justina Ireland's stunning vision of an America both foreign and familiar—a country on the brink, at the explosive crossroads where race, humanity, and survival meet. Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania—derailing the War Between the States and changing the nation forever. In this new America, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Education Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead. But there are also opportunities—and Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. It's a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane. After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern...

A while ago I read the fantasy novel Malice by Heather Walter and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads Once upon a time, there was a wicked fairy who cursed a line of princesses to die, and could only be broken by true love's kiss. You've heard this before, haven't you? The handsome prince. The happily-ever-after. Utter nonsense. Let me tell you, no one actually cares about what happens to our princesses. I thought I didn't care, either. Until I met her. Princess Aurora. The last heir to the throne. The future queen her realm needs. One who isn't bothered that I am the Dark Grace, abhorred and feared for the mysterious dark magic that runs in my veins. Aurora says I should be proud of my gifts. That she . . . cares for me. Even though it was a power like mine that was responsible for her curse. But with less than a year until that curse will kill her, any future I might see with Aurora is swiftly disintegrating - and she can't stand to kiss...

For en liten stund siden leste jeg barneboka Måneønsket av Helene B. Clamén og i dag kommer omtalen av boka. Beskrivelse fra forlaget Jon er en gutt som føler seg annerledes og holder seg mest for seg selv. På skolen blir han erta av Jens. Hjemme blir han mobba av storebroren. Mamma maser. Og pappa bryr seg ikke. Plutselig dukker det opp en mystisk jente som forandrer alt og Jon kastes inn i et nervepirrende eventyr der månen risikerer å gå under. Jakten på en magisk medaljong blir starten på en rekke skumle mysterier. Hvem bor i den hemmelige byen? Hvilken ondskap skjuler seg i den dype ravinen? Og hvorfor må Jon sloss med et livsfarlig sjømonster? Mine tanker om boka Måneønsket er en bok hvor det er lett å følge handlinga, med mye spenning. Den er i tillegg underholdende, og viser at en av og til må hevde seg for å vise at en ikke finner seg i alt.

A while ago I read the fantasy novel The Deep by Rivers Solomon and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads Yetu holds the memories for her people—water-dwelling descendants of pregnant African slave women thrown overboard by slave owners—who live idyllic lives in the deep. Their past, too traumatic to be remembered regularly, is forgotten by everyone, save one—the historian. This demanding role has been bestowed on Yetu. Yetu remembers for everyone, and the memories, painful and wonderful, traumatic and terrible and miraculous, are destroying her. And so, she flees to the surface, escaping the memories, the expectations, and the responsibilities—and discovers a world her people left behind long ago. Yetu will learn more than she ever expected to about her own past—and about the future of her people. If they are all to survive, they’ll need to reclaim the memories, reclaim their identity—and own who they really are. My Thoughts on the Book The Deep is a well written ...

As I've heard so much about the book, I ended up reading Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads It’s 200 years after Cinderella found her prince, but the fairy tale is over. Teen girls are now required to appear at the Annual Ball, where the men of the kingdom select wives based on a girl’s display of finery. If a suitable match is not found, the girls not chosen are never heard from again. Sixteen-year-old Sophia would much rather marry Erin, her childhood best friend, than parade in front of suitors. At the ball, Sophia makes the desperate decision to flee, and finds herself hiding in Cinderella’s mausoleum. There, she meets Constance, the last known descendant of Cinderella and her step sisters. Together they vow to bring down the king once and for all–and in the process, they learn that there’s more to Cinderella’s story than they ever knew . . . This fresh take on a classic story will make readers question the tales t...

Considering I've already read Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron, I couldn't resist reading This Poison Heart and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads Darkness blooms in bestselling author Kalynn Bayron's new contemporary fantasy about a girl with a unique and deadly power. Briseis has a gift: she can grow plants from tiny seeds to rich blooms with a single touch. When Briseis's aunt dies and wills her a dilapidated estate in rural New York, Bri and her parents decide to leave Brooklyn behind for the summer. Hopefully there, surrounded by plants and flowers, Bri will finally learn to control her gift. But their new home is sinister in ways they could never have imagined--it comes with a specific set of instructions, an old-school apothecary, and a walled garden filled with the deadliest botanicals in the world that can only be entered by those who share Bri's unique family lineage. When strangers begin to arrive on their doorstep, asking for t...

A while ago I read Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads Sunny Nwazue lives in Nigeria, but she was born in New York City. Her features are West African, but she's albino. She's a terrific athlete, but can't go out into the sun to play soccer. There seems to be no place where she fits in. And then she discovers something amazing—she is a "free agent" with latent magical power. And she has a lot of catching up to do. Soon she's part of a quartet of magic students, studying the visible and invisible, learning to change reality. But just as she's finding her footing, Sunny and her friends are asked by the magical authorities to help track down a career criminal who knows magic, too. Will their training be enough to help them against a threat whose powers greatly outnumber theirs? My Thoughts on the Book Akata Witch was a fun read, especially as it was situated in Nigeria. It also celebrates being differen...

A while ago I read the middle grade novel Bayou Magic by Jewell Parker Rhodes and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads A magical coming-of-age story from Coretta Scott King honor author Jewell Parker Rhodes, rich with Southern folklore, friendship, family, fireflies and mermaids, plus an environmental twist. It's city-girl Maddy's first summer in the bayou, and she just falls in love with her new surroundings - the glimmering fireflies, the glorious landscape, and something else, deep within the water, that only she can see. Could it be a mermaid? As her grandmother shares wisdom about sayings and signs, Maddy realizes she may be the only sibling to carry on her family's magical legacy. And when a disastrous oil leak threatens the bayou, she knows she may also be the only one who can help. Does she have what it takes to be a hero? Jewell Parker Rhodes weaves a rich tale celebrating the magic within. My Thoughts on the Book I really enjoyed Bayou Magic....

I read the fantasy novel An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir a while ago and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free. Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear. It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire's impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They've seen what happens to those who do. But when Laia's brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire's greatest military academy. There, Laia meets Elias, the school's finest soldier--and secretly, its most unwilling. ...

A few months ago, I read The Witchling's Girl by Helena Coggan and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads I n a quiet street far from the river, with an ancient tree growing through its walls and floors, is the House of the Dead. There lives the witchling: healer, midwife and conduit between the world of the living and the world below. A witchling must give up her family and friends and spend her life alone, tending to the sick and carrying the dead down dark tunnels to the underworld. Haley was born with the gift of death-magic, and at the age of seven her mother abandons her to the witchling to be raised as her successor. But as Haley grows older and learns her craft - as invading armies pass through her town, people are born and die on her floor, and loyalties shift and dissolve around her - she finds it harder and harder to keep her vows and be the perfect and impassive healer. But if she can't, it will be her downfall - and that of everyone she's no...

A while ago I read the fantasy novel The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orléans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orléans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful. But it’s not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favorite—the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orléans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land. But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favorite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie—that her powers are far g...