Reading Wrap Up | March 2014

It's the end of another month and time for another Reading Wrap Up! I didn't get anywhere near as much reading done this month as I had hoped, and what's worse aside from Dark Triumph, which I was already half way through, I didn't read a single book from the pile I'd hoped to read in March. Oops!

(I did try and carry on with A Discovery of Witches, but I just couldn't get into it - I'll have to try again later!)

I wrote a lot more than I read this month, which isn't a bad thing at all, I'd just hoped to do some more reading before the start of Camp NaNoWriMo tomorrow!

Anyway, here are the books I read this month:

Dark Triumph

by Robin LaFevers

My Rating: 

When Sybella arrived at the doorstep of St Mortain half mad with grief and despair the convent were only too happy to offer her refuge - but at a price. The sisters of this convent serve Death, and with Sybella naturally skilled in both the arts of death and seduction, she could become one of their most dangerous weapons.

But her assassin's skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to the life that nearly drove her mad. Her father's rage and brutality are terrifying, and her brother's love is equally monstrous. But when Sybella discovers an unexpected ally she discovers that a daughter of Death may find something other than vengeance to live for...

After I finished Grave Mercy last month I jumped straight into the sequel, and I loved it! Dark Triumph felt a lot more sinister than Grave Mercy did, which I think is why I enjoyed it a little more; as much as I enjoyed Grave Mercy, there were places in which it felt a little too fluffy for a book about assassins.

If you haven't checked out this series yet and you're a lover of YA, Historical Fiction or assassins then I highly recommend it! I can't wait for the release of Mortal Heart later this year.

Year of Wonders

by Geraldine Brooks

My Rating: 

Spring 1666: when the Great Plague reaches the quiet Derbyshire village of Eyam, the villagers make an extraordinary decision. They elect to isolate themselves in a fateful quarantine. So begins the Year of Wonders, seen through eighteen-year-old Anna Frith’s eyes as she confronts the loss of her family, the disintegration of her community, and the lure of a dangerous and illicit love. Based on a true story, this novel explores love and learning, fear and fanaticism, and the struggles of seventeenth-century science and religion to interpret the world at the cusp of the modern era.

Once I was done with Dark Triumph I finally continued reading Year of Wonders, which I actually started back in February. This is the perfect read for people who like a slow-burning novel. Personally I thought this novel was gorgeous, and that's all I'm going to say about it. As I mentioned on Friday I'm going to be posting a lot of book reviews during April, and this is one of the books I'll be reviewing, so check back for that if you're interested in hearing my thoughts on it!

Strands of Bronze and Gold

by Jane Nickerson

My Rating: 

When seventeen-year-old Sophia Petheram’s beloved father dies, she receives an unexpected letter. An invitation—on fine ivory paper, in bold black handwriting—from the mysterious Monsieur Bernard de Cressac, her godfather. With no money and fewer options, Sophie accepts, leaving her humble childhood home for the astonishingly lavish Wyndriven Abbey, in the heart of Mississippi.

Sophie has always longed for a comfortable life, and she finds herself both attracted to and shocked by the charm and easy manners of her overgenerous guardian. But as she begins to piece together the mystery of his past, it’s as if, thread by thread, a silken net is tightening around her. And as she gathers stories and catches whispers of his former wives—all with hair as red as her own—in the forgotten corners of the abbey, Sophie knows she’s trapped in the passion and danger of de Cressac’s intoxicating world.

This book was actually one of the books I'd hoped to read in February, but I didn't get around to it until this month. I love a good retelling so I was looking forward to this read, and I liked it! Like Year of Wonders, however, I'm not going to say too much about it because I'll be reviewing it next month!

And now I leave you for a month with my scheduled reviews, though I will be checking in every Wednesday for a What's Up Wednesday post. Best of luck to anyone else who is taking part in Camp NaNoWriMo from tomorrow!

J.