A "Serie"ous Review: The Mapmaker's Trilogy by S.E. Grove

          

The Mapmaker's Trilogy by S.E. Grove

In The Glass Sentence, we travel with Sophia on an adventure where she follows the directions of a mysterious glass map.  She finds and makes new allies along the way including a new companion named Theo.  The politics of the time echo our own.

In The Golden Specific, she sets out on a mission to find her parents after being given a hint to their whereabouts by a mysterious benefactor at the Nihilism archives.  We also meet some interesting new characters and find out more about the different Ages across the globe.

In The Crimson Skew, Sophia and her companions arrive back in North America only to find everything in disarray.  She continues onward to find her parents and along the way gathers the necessary allies as they all head towards their shared destiny.

I honestly picked up the first book on a whim from the library.  I wasn't really reading anything at the time and wanted something interesting.  The cover captured my eye and the description on the back clinched the deal.  Sophia is a strong, independent female character who accepts her companions as they are.  The plots are compelling and, once the world building is out of the way, very fast paced.  You will read the entire trilogy just to see what happens next.  This is a wonderful fantasy series!

Other similar series:

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman


Northern Lights is the adult edition of The Golden Compass.

Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede



Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Book Review: Cosplay Crash Course by Mina Petrović: A Complete Guide to Designing Cosplay Wigs, Makeup and Accessories

Cosplay Crash Course: A Complete Guide to Designing Cosplay Wigs, Makeup and Accessories by Mina Petrović

As an amateur cosplayer myself, it showed me how easy it can be to create all the necessary details to complete an outfit. While I'm not particularly interested in making armour, I really appreciated the instructions to make boot covers. Although I do end up online looking for tips, this book laid out instructions in precise detail and doesn't require an internet connection. I read this on my Kobo and as a result they were black and white. Despite this, the photos were very clear and helpful. I can only imagine that they look much better in colour and on a larger screen! A great reference book for any cosplayer!

#netgalley #cosplaycrashcourse

Book Review: Twilight Empress

This book is 2 years old at this point, so why it is still up on Netgalley is beyond me.  Although I took Classical Studies in my undergrad, my classes covered to Constantine.  I am fascinated by this portrayal of Rome and its rulers from this period.

It is a fascinating novel that takes place in Italy just following the fall of Rome.  When Rome is sacked by the Goths, Galla Placidia, sister to the emperor, is taken as a prisoner of war.  Being used as a political pawn doesn’t sit well with her, so she sets her own destiny and builds a life among the Goths.  When her life takes another unexpected turn, she is named Augusta. She is forced to live a life of politics and intrigue up until the very end.

The pacing in this book is excellent!  I could not put it down. I very much enjoyed the secondary characters and how they were used as foils to reflect the change in her.  It was also a realistic portrayal of her being torn between her duties to the empire and her heart.

#TwilightEmpress #NetGalley

Book Review: The Glass Sentence

The Glass Sentence by S.E. Grove

This was an amazing book that was hard to put down! When I did put it down over the Easter weekend, it was with great reluctance. When I started reading it, I couldn't stop until I got to the ending!  I stayed up much too late to find out what happened.
In 1799 the world experienced the Great Disruption in which something happened so that time in the world was fractured and then came together in different times. The year is now 1891, Sophia is the daughter of two explorers who have gone on an adventure, leaving her with her uncle Shadrock. When he is kidnapped, she goes after him with the help of Theo. Together, they have great adventures while searching for him and heading into danger. Will Sophia be able to decipher the map in time or will she doom the entire world?
Read Alikes: The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

Book Review: Grilled Cheese and Dragons #1

Grilled Cheese and Dragons #1 by Nancy Krulik

This book was amazing! The Princess Serena, or as she prefers to be called, Princess Pulverizer wants to join Knight School. When she begs and pleads her father to allow her to attend, he instead sends her off on a Quest of Kindness in order to gain more knightly attributes. She must perform 8 acts of kindness and have proof of each one. However, her plans go a little awry when she meets some unexpected help.
I read it aloud to my niece and she absolutely adored it. She is 5 and understood the concepts quite well. However, I would say that the reading level is more around 8 or 9. There are also great illustrations and, thankfully for my voice, short chapters.
Read a likes include Princess in Black by Shannon Hale and Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede.

Book Review: One Night of Scandal

One Night of Scandal by Darcy Burke

I really enjoyed this book! When Jack Barrett catches Lady Viola Fairfax attempting to sneak into a gentlemen's club, he escorts her home. Lady Viola is horrified that anyone saw through her disguise as Tavistock and immediately complies. However, fate throws them together when they decide to investigate the rumour that a peer was behind the attempt on the Prince Regent. But when the tables are turned against them by unknown political enemies and she defends him against accusations that he is a radical, she creates a scandal, there is only one solution: marriage. When these accusations put them both in danger, will she realize that some things are more important than her ideals?
I really liked Lady Viola! She's my kind of girl. Although she is headstrong, she recognizes when her actions are futile and when she can fight back. I really enjoyed that she didn't do anything in order to prove Jack wrong or make her point. Jack is a good person and tries to do what is best for Viola even when she resists. He knows when to capitulate to her. I also liked the pacing of the book as I had a really hard time putting it down towards the end. I feel that had I read the previous books in this series, I would have a much better feel for the characters.

#OneNightofScandal #NetGalley

Life Just Suddenly Happened

Hi faithful readers!
I'm so happy to be back to blogging!  It has been a long time since I posted.  The reason is simply that life suddenly got very busy since I got 2 jobs (one is working in a library and I love it!) and had all my volunteering as well.  I also joined the choir at one my volunteering gigs.  Suddenly, I was so busy that although I was reading, I had trouble finding the time to write reviews.  I am still working on managing my time and learning to balance everything, including working on cosplay.  I will be posting more reviews starting next week!