Audiobook Mini-Review - River of Silver

I can already see you looking at this and going "err... Andrew... you do realise that this is a collection of short stories/extracts that are HUGELY spoilery for the Daevabad Trilogy, right?". And yes, I knew that going in, but there is a logic to my madness. 

I have always been curious over this series. You guys rave about this series and I feel that this would be completely up my street. But, I've been a little chicken to try it in case the series didn't live up to the hype so, when I saw the audiobook on NetGalley, I knew I had to try it out and maybe, this would be my In for the series and would help me decided whether I should give this series a try and, if so, whether to read this series or to audiobook it... 

Title and Author: The River of Silver: Tales from the Daevabad Trilogy by S. A. Chakraborty

Publisher: HarperVoyager

Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Gifted by UK publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review/reaction. 

This is a collection of short stories taken before, during and after the events of the trilogy, giving voice to characters fans love, hate and some that never got the chance to talk...

Audiobook Review - Wolf-Speaker

• Title And Author: Wolf Speaker by Tamora Pierce
• Publisher: Harper Voyager
• Physical, eBook or Audiobook: Audiobook
• Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Borrowed from local library via BorrowBox
• Length: 256 Pages or 6 Hours 31 Minutes

Last year, I went through a huge blitz of getting advance reader copies of Tamora Pierce’s novels via NetGalley. And I only read Wild Magic. I liked it (will put link to my write-up here) and I had plans to read the second and third (Wolf-Speaker and Emperor Mage) in the series soon after as I got them as well as her newest novel, Tempests and Slaughter. And I somehow didn’t get round to it. I just lost track of time. Earlier this year, I audiobooked First Test, the first in another quartet by her, Protector of the Small (link for that is here). After audio booking and again, liking it, I decided that if I want to continue with that series, I really should try and finish the ARCs I have and, maybe even completing the series somehow.

But it’s been nearly a year, could I pick up the story of how Wild Magic ended and Wolf-Speaker begun…?

Daine has wild magic. She can talk and sway the actions of animals. So when Daine is summoned by a pack of wolves who saved Daine’s life years ago, she goes without thinking, taking her mentor, the legendary mage Numair. They travel to the Dunlath Valley, but both are shocked at the danger that awaits them. The animals and humans of the valley’s lives are in danger as the valley’s rulers have been blinded by greed and power, and they plans to overthrow the king must be stopped at all costs…

Audiobook Review - First Test

• Title And Author: First Test by Tamora Pierce
• Publisher: HarperVoyager
• Physical, eBook or Audiobook: Audiobook
• Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Borrowed from local library via BorrowBox
• Length: 212 Pages or 5 Hours 21 Minutes

You would think I would focus on the one Tamora Pierce series that I started to read a few months back - Wild Magic, the first in the Immortals series (I have the second and the third on my kindle, as well as Tempests and Slaughter) - but when I was randomly searching my BorrowBox app for a short audiobook (I wasn’t ready to dive into the two long audiobooks I bought several months back…), I spied First Test and went “Ooooh!” then requested. Only to discover afterwards that BorrowBox only had this and Wild Magic as audiobooks so if I liked what I heard, I would have to find a way to continue the series! 

Keladry of Mindelan is the first girl who dares to take advantage of the new law of Tortall, allowing females to train for Knighthood. After growing up on the Yamani Islands, she knows women can be fearless warriors and she wants to be one. But Lord Wyldon, the training master, is dead against the idea of girls becoming knights and forces the king to say that Kel must do a year’s trial - something no boy has ever done. Kel is determined to prove herself, just to be seen as equal…

Book Review - Red Sister

• Title And Author: Red Sister by Mark Lawrence
• Publisher: HarperVoyager
• Physical, eBook or Audiobook: Physical
• Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Gifted by publisher in exchange for an honest review
• Length: 516 Pages

I seem to have come late to the party with this series, but have only been made aware of this series a few months back via several book bloggers and vloggers raving about this series, excited that the third and final book in the trilogy, Holy Sister, was about to come out. 

After chatting to a few people on Twitter about this and becoming super intrigued, the lovely people at HarperVoyager sent me a physical copy of Red Sister and, after chatting to my lovely book blogger partner in crime, Luna from Luna’s Little Library, we decided to buddy read together. While she read this within a week and eagerly bought the rest of the series while still reading Red Sister (we’ve all done this, don’t you lie now), I read a little slower due to lack of time to read. Actually, this took me about a month to read - and I took a small break around three quarters of the way through (but more on that later). 

In this high fantasy, the Convent of Sweet Mercy isn’t a normal convent. It trains young girls and women to become assassins. To become a Red Sister, it will take ten years to learn the ways of the blade, the fist and the poison. So where does eight year old Nona Grey fit in? She was an unwanted child from her small village, sold to a child catcher and then taken to a fight ring and the abbess of Sweet Mercy takes a great interest in her… 

I feel that if I go any further into this, I might spoil one or two elements. 

So, where the heck do I start?

NetGalley Review - Wild Magic

• Title And Author: Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce
• Publisher: HarperVoyager
• Physical, eBook or Audiobook: eBook
• Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Gifted by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for honest review
• Length: 256 Pages

I have always been aware of Tamora Pierce for many years. I’ve been aware of her since my preteens. I know she’s a big deal in the fantasy genre. But because she’s a big deal, I always felt that she would be unaccessible. So, when news came out that HarperVoyager was going to republish the Immortals Quartet and the first book in her series, Tempests and Slaughter, I requested on NetGalley…

Daine has always had a special relationship with animals. But when she is forced to leave the home, she and the people she meets realise that the gift isn’t just a knack. It’s magic. A rare form of magic called Wild Magic that allows her to speak to animals. And not only that, but to make them obey her. 

But terrifying creatures who have been taken in the Divine Realms are now free. Someone has broken the barrier and it’s up to Daine to discover her magic and it’s up to her and her friends - human and animal - to defend the world for an Immortal attack. 

Daniel A. Cohen Talks The Coldmaker

It's been a busy few days on the Pewter Wolf, hasn't it? Well, not going to stop just yet, as I am excited to welcome Daniel A. Cohen on the blog!

Daniel is the author of The Coldmaker and it's sound super intriguing (it's on my NetGalley, along with 68 other NetGalley on my TBR). It is said that when the Jadans angered the Crier, the Crier took their cold away, punishing them to live in a world of unspeakable heat.

But that was eight hundred years ago. And a story... so when the evening bells ring, and everyone is asleep, Micah escapes into the night, his secret life of finding broken things and tinkers at them. But his secret is threatened to be exposed when a masked Jadan publicly threatened the authority, as well as waves of rebellion.

But another secret could be on the verge of discovery... the secret of the Cold.

It's intriguing, as am excited that Daniel has found time to write this guest post, so thank you. I also want to thank Jaime at HarperCollins for helping me set this up!

Now, with that out of the way, over to you, Daniel!

The Fire Sermon Event

Earlier today, I was at HarperCollins for a blogger event of The Fire Sermon, a first book in a new trilogy by Francesca Haig. And most of the people who were invited had read or was at least halfway through the book and loving it.

I haven't read it. So I was panicking a little. I feared I would have to lie through my teeth and say things like "Beautiful use of language", "That twist! Did you see it coming?"and "Such a strong lead!". Basically, this video in a nutshell from BookTuber Stevie from SableCaught (who I met again today! So cool to see you and all the other bloggers again. I MISSED TALKING TO YOU ALL FACE TO FACE!!!)

But once I got to the event, I discovered (to my delight!) that there were a small number of us who hadn't read the book (HOORAY!!!) so we were going into this new series blind.

The group of us bloggers were taken into a cafe area of HarperCollins's new building and we just stared at the view! They have an amazing view of London! And they have a wall made of books (or, a wall covered in book spines!). I think all us book bloggers and vloggers all wanted to take it home (I did, but I had my eye of the huge lamp of The Tiger Who Came to Tea...).

Once we all had a tiny catch up, we all sat down and listen to the Publishing Director, Jane Johnson, chat about how Harper Voyager was going to be 20 this year and showed a short video where I discovered that I have more books from this publisher in my TBR pile (ok, on my kindle) than I thought...

Then, Francesca Haig chatted about The Fire Sermon. This book is getting hype/buzz. It;s sold in 26 territories and Dreamworks is going to adapt it into a movie - they phone her every now and then to check details! She read two small extracts (she found out some of us didn't have a copy so she kept them as spoiler-free as possible) and answered questions on the book and writing in general.

The book, she revealed, started life as a question - "What if when one twin dies, so did the other?" - from then, it took form (though she is a published poet and a professor of Creative Writing [sorry, my notes are a bit mixed up so apologies if I make a mistake). She also talked about the word cleave - a word she uses often in this story. A word that means to separate or to divide but, in another context, to bring together or to bind.

After this tiny chat (it's a blur and my note taking is awful), the bloggers, the book peeps (who's jobs might be threatened by me as they have the coolest jobs) and the author chatted about books, writing and food, Francesca very kindly signed copies of her book to everyone who attented.

Including me. I GOT A COPY OF THIS BOOK!!!

And it sounds messed up. My kind of messed up so am thrilled to read it soon.

In The Fire Sermon, the world is a dark place. Years ago, the terrible event happened and now, twins are being born. The Alpha twin are strong and "perfect" whereas the Omega twin have mutations. They are cast aside, forgotten while the Alphas live a life of luxury. Expect, not really. Because there is one thing that binds them together: when one twin dies, so does the other...

But Cass and Zach are perfect. On the outside. Cass knows she's the Omega and is hiding a secret. A secret that her twin, Zach, will stop at nothing to expose...

It's sounds good, right?

Oh, as we left, was given a tiny goody-bag. It contain an author I never heard of, another I think I know but never read and Game of Thrones. It's a sign from the Book Gods that I need to read that monster of a book soon (but I MUSTN'T love the characters as George RR Martin will kill them off! And he enjoys it!)

But, before I run away, I want to thank Harper Voyager for a great day. I had such fun! So, thank you for inviting me and thank you Francesca for chatting to me, even though I bet I looked like a hyper rabbit in the headlights (having your first coffee of the day at the event wasn't my smartest move... will remember that in future...)