Book Review - 'The Sea of Tranquility' by Katja Millay.

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 Book Review - 'The Sea of Tranquility' by Katja Millay ~ 100 Stars!

The Sea of Tranquility has been sitting on my Kindle for far too long. Everyone has been raving about how brilliant it is, so I made myself a deal that I would wait until I'd finished University to read it so that I could really throw myself into the story without any distractions.

I can quite honestly say that 'The Sea of Tranquility' is one of the best books I have ever read, if you know my love for Harry Potter and I say that this book was up there on my scale of 1 to amazing, then you’ll know just how much I loved it (a clue: it was a lot). It is very rare that you read a book that speaks to you in such a way that you feel as though your heart and soul is being scrutinised as you turn each page. Reading Nastya and Josh’s story was very much like that. It was a beautiful reminder that no matter what you are going through, there is someone who will be there for you. It was so true to real life and that made the journey all the more wonderful. Everything about this book was pure genius and it was one of those stories that will stay with me forever.

Katja Millay’s writing style was beautiful and so clever. When we first meet Nastya, her narration is short and to the point. Her sentences are rarely longer than a few words, and straight away I knew we were being introduced to a character who was deeply emotionally scarred. I was so deeply engrossed in Nastya’s inner turmoil, that I didn’t even notice the most defining thing about her. It was stunningly clever writing, and I honestly had chills as I read.

“I am so sorry. You must be Nastya.”

This time I nod.

“You don’t talk.”

The transition of the style of Nastya’s monologue’s was incredibly moving to see, as she grows stronger in herself, and finds herself a home and family with Josh and Drew that her descriptions become more colourful, her sentences longer, and the blunt, daggered tone that we first saw from her became softer and gentler.

I loved the relationship Nastya had with both Josh and Drew. At first I was expecting to greatly dislike Drew, having the suspicion that his respect for Josh wouldn’t be enough for him to stay away from Nastya, so I absolutely loved how Drew, whilst still flirting and generally being his typical male self, really wanted the best for Josh and Nastya. The way Drew seemed to see himself as Nastya’s older brother was wonderful to read. In these kind of books we often get swept up by the main romance of the story, but Nastya and Drew’s relationship was a beautiful reminder that true friends will be there for you, no matter if they are your boyfriend, brother or friend. The Leighton’s kindness to Nastya, by inviting her to Sunday dinner was a real golden lining in Nastya’s world. She is so submerged in pain and rage and anger at what another human being did to her, that she found it hard at first to accept the selfless generosity and kindness that the Leighton’s gave her.

Nastya’s relationship with Josh was such a beautiful journey that had me crying, smiling, laughing, sobbing and just generally an emotional wreck. Their connection because of the trials of their past was heartbreaking, and it was wonderful to see how they both opened up to each other in ways that they couldn’t to anyone else.

“There’s no reason to keep hiding in the bathroom. Hide here. There’s a force field, you know.” He lowers his voice when he says it, like he’s telling me a secret and then just barely hints at a smile that no one but me would catch before he puts it away and sobers, adding quietly, “No one will bother you.”

There story was a rollercoaster ride, but one that had true meaning in its ups and downs. The scenes when we saw them together, when in Josh’s garage, eating ice cream, wishing with pennies at the fountain, was perfection. Even the scenes when they are arguing or furious with each other, I never felt that it was uncalled for. Everything was placed perfectly.

Let’s just say that after reading such utter perfection, I put my Kindle down and had a long cathartic sob. It was such an incredible piece of writing that took me on a wonderful journey through the highs and lows of life and reminded me to be lucky for what I have, and to never take advantage of it.

And the ending line, wow! Let’s just say that summed up the whole novel in two words. Go and read it to find out what those words were.

A stunning piece of perfection is the only way I can describe this book. I can’t wait for it to be released in Paperback, because this is definitely one that I will be rereading for the rest of my life.

It seems kind of devastating that I can only rate this 5 Stars! In a perfect world, with a scale of 1 to 100 stars, this would rate at 100.

You can pre-order a Paperback copy of 'The Sea of Tranquility' here:

UK Link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sea-Tranquility-Katja-Millay/dp/1476730946/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1369071694&sr=1-1&keywords=the+sea+of+tranquility

US Link: http://www.amazon.com/Sea-Tranquility-Katja-Millay/dp/1476730946/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1369071694&sr=1-1&keywords=the+sea+of+tranquility

Book Review - 'Edgar Wilde and the Lost Grimoire' by Paul Ramey.

Book Review - 'Edgar Wilde and the Lost Grimoire' by Paul Ramey ~ 5 Stars!

'Edgar Wilde and the Lost Grimoire' was such a delight to read! A lot of the time with short books I feel like the story and character development can be rushed in order to keep to a lower wordcount, but Paul Ramey wrote this book expertly, with the storyline and character development perfectly balanced!

The storylines alternated between the 1700s and the present day, and the manner in which it was done was brilliant as it didn't detract from the present day story, instead giving you another small clue to solving Edgar, Corinthian and Shelby's present day mystery.

I loved that Edgar is not your typical teenage hero, and for that reason I found myself really connecting to his character. It was nice to see a fifteen year old boy who wasn’t worried about school, girls or social status, but was enthused by historical research, and had a goal that he wanted to achieve. This really made him stand out from his peers, and it was nice to see that not all teenage boys are as arrogant as the ones I used to go to school with. I also chuckled reading some of Edgar's narrative about Shelby, both bewildered and taken with her female charm. It was a refreshing change to see the strange creatures that men see in women.

Shelby is a brilliant example of a young girl who I'd have wanted to be friends with in school. The way she started off by teasing Edgar for his fashion sense and constant presence in the local library made me laugh. A classic example of how girls act when they don't want to seem too obvious! I loved how fiercely loyal she was to Edgar when her friends teased him, and I whooped with delight when she put them in their place.

“We’ve already kissed,” Shelby boasted defiantly. “Last night, in fact. I don’t know where he learned to kiss like that, but he’s pretty amazing. You two don’t know what you’re missing.”

You go Shelby! Loving a bit of girl power!

Corinthian's character was also great fun. I liked seeing how fond he was of Edgar, but how little things made us begin to doubt him. Despite some of the bad things he does, I really felt sorry for him. His whole life had been consumed by his desire to find the lost grimoire and when he fails, it makes you wonder what he will do with his life.

The storyline of the healers and witches was one that I always find thought provoking. Being Pagan myself it breaks my heart to see how these people were treated all because of their desire to help heal the sick. It is often a common reaction to place blame with the church, so it was a wonderful change to see how the reverend was not involved in the witch hunting, and saved the woman he loved despite the fact that it was against the teachings of his religion.

A wonderful, fun, thought provoking read. A definite recommended read and 5 stars!

Book Review - 'Firefight in Darkness (Dryad Quartet #2)' by Katie Jennings.

Book Review - 'Firefight in Darkness (Dryad Quartet #2)' by Katie Jennings ~ 5 Stars!

‘Firefight in Darkness’ is the second book in the Dryad Quartet, and is another wonderful piece of art that I find it hard to express just how much I loved it!

I loved reading from Blythe’s point of view, and it was such a dramatic change from Capri’s sweet and innocent narrative in ‘Breath of Air’, that I’m very impressed with how Katie Jennings managed to switch between the two narratives so flawlessly. I loved the differences in how I connected to the characters when switching to Blythe’s view point, and it was refreshing to have the feeling that Blythe is not always right, where with Capri it was easy to see the logic behind her every decision. Instead, Blythe is fiery, demanding and stubborn, and it was great fun to see how she clashed with Jax with her tendency to run into a situation head first without thinking about the consequences.

It also broke my heart to see how Blythe thought of Rhiannon. I loved Rhiannon’s sensitive but lonely character in ‘Breath of Air’, and I found it desperately sad to see how she is shunned by Blythe, through no real fault of her own. I can’t wait to read more about Rhiannon’s character and her story in the third book of the Dryad Quartet.

This story was brilliantly timed, and didn’t rush into the action. We were given time to get an idea of how Blythe thinks and feels, and the desire she has to escape from her problems on Euphora. In many books this stage of storytelling tends to be rushed, but it was perfectly balanced in this story, as I came to really sympathise with Blythe having seen how hard it was for her on Euphora since Brock’s return.

Jax was the perfect hero for this story. Whilst Rian still remains by favourite ever book boyfriend, Jax was perfectly matched for Blythe and I loved that he was good friends with Rian, which was a brilliant device to give Blythe some much needed girl time with Capri. Capri’s excitement at Blythe’s romantic life was brilliant and so true to real life, and I loved how the romantic Capri began to make her friend less cynical, as Blythe finally comes to realise that being in love doesn’t make you a lesser person. The image of Jax and Blythe spending evenings on the porch of his house with Dog, Cooper, for company was heart warming.

I also liked seeing how Capri has grown in this book, becoming more confident in herself, no doubt through help from Rian *sigh* Oh how I love him. Her helping in the final battle by creating a storm was badass and great!

What struck me most with this book was Bristol’s storyline, as told through her diary. It was desperately sad to see how she had been used by two men in her life, and then banished from Euphora, and I felt instantly bad for all the bad things I’d thought about her previously. It was a genius plot device when we see what really happened in the alleyway the night of the raid, and it really hits home in reminding us that not everyone is what they seem, and we should not judge people before we have the whole story.

Yet again I am awestruck by the beautiful world that Katie Jennings has created in her Dryad Quartet, and it is honestly a world that will stay with me forever. 5 Stars!