Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Illustrated Edition

Title: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Author: J.K. Rowling (Illustrated by Jim Kay)
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's Books
Year: 2000 (Illustrated Oct 2019)
Pages: 451
ISBN: 9781408845677
Series: Harry Potter
Genre: Fantasy
Reading Time: 12 - 28 Jan
Binding: Hardback
Goodreads

Stars:
★★★★★

Blurb:
 From the moment the Dark Mark burns in the skies above the Quidditch World Cup, danger stalks Harry Potter. Picked by the Goblet of Fire to represent Hogwarts in the legendary Triwizard Tournament, Harry faces tests of magic and bravery that would challenge even the most exceptional wizards - the first of which pits him against a ferocious Hungarian Horntail. For Harry, however, the competition is only the prelude to a much more sinister trial of strength. In the mists of Little Hangleton, where the graves of Tom Riddle's ancestors lie, the Darkest of magic is brewing.

Review:
 It's been a few years since I read the Harry Potter series and a chance to go through the new illustrated editions is as excellent a time as any. Kay's work is beautiful and the details he throws in (Lord of the Rings book in Ron's bedroom) make it so worth it. The artwork as I understand took a bit longer than the previous books and it's definitely the most complex book in terms of new creatures, characters and world expansion.
 I like that Rowling balances a little bit of everything in this book, Harry's worry over his scar and the trials but also about regular kid things such as girls and school dances. It keeps the book grounded in a magical setting where we are otherwise just following children in their daily lives at school. Friendships become difficult and crushes are embarrassing to deal with!
 On a reread it's great to refresh the details, there are so many I've forgotten as I watch the films and forget what further there was in the book itself. Dobby, Winky, Ludo Bagman, Blast-Ended Screwts, Nifflers and the whole Azkaban escape explanation! There really is a lot going on in this one. Even so, I think the execution of the film is really good and things such as S.P.E.W being missed are a good details that would have really crowded the film.
 There is a really interesting range of father figures in this book. I have a new respect for Arthur Weasley as he stood up to the Dursleys for Harry. Amos Diggory was a bully to Harry when boasting his pride of Cedric. Dumbledore was absent but watchful, Hagrid always well-meaning, Sirius was worried and trying his best in a difficult situation. Crouch, well... He tried.
 I'm looking forward to continuing the series, they certainly get a bit darker after this one.

Sword of Destiny

Title: Sword of Destiny

Author: Andrzej Sapkowski
Publisher: Gollancz
Year: May 1992 (2015 Gollancz)
Pages: 374
ISBN: 9781473211537
Series: The Witcher #0.75
Genre: Fantasy
Reading Time: 15 - 23 Jan
Binding: Paperback
Goodreads

Stars:
★★★★★

Blurb:
 Geralt of Rivia is a witcher, a man whose magic powers, enhanced by long training and a mysterious elixir, have made him a brilliant fighter and a merciless assassin.
 Yet he is no ordinary murderer: his targets are the deadly monsters and vile fiends which ravage the land and attack the innocent. He roams the country seeking work, but gradually comes to realise that while some of his quarry are unremittingly vile, vicious grotesques, others are the victims of sin, evil or simply naivety.
 In this collection of short stories, following the adventures of the hit collection THE LAST WISH, join Geralt and his companions Dandelion and Yennefer as they battle monsters, demons and prejudices alike. . .

Review:
 I really enjoyed this next instalment in The Witcher series, like The Last Wish this is a collection of short stories before the main books take place but unlike The Last Wish the stories seem very much to be in chronological order. That was only reason I withheld a fifth star on the review of The Last Wish and just look, here it is!
 They're beginning to queue for this at the library, I might break and get the kindle versions as I'm sure I'm going to want to read this series again. A few thoughts on the book and world overall:
 Geralt is a fantastic character to follow in this kin of world, we get to see all the action and dirty work as opposed to the usual royal battles and politics. See the magic at work and prejudices cause problems for our characters rather than observing it in side characters. The writing still translates to an easy read in English, I like the balance of dialogue and descriptions, everything is kept moving quickly in short stories.
 Notes on the individual stories:
 The Bounds of Reason -
 This is a good short story and one of my favourites when I was watching the series. We get some real depth in characters despite there being quite a cast in this short story. I mean, dragons makes it pretty great. If you're like me and are also reading these short stories before the main books then this is the first time we've had some quality time with Yennefer that isn't Geralt first meeting her. It's clear there's a gap and a lot of history we've missed out on but seeing them be thrust together in this situation is an interesting run of the destiny theme throughout the stories so far.
 A Shard of Ice -
 This one puts a bit of a twist on a short romance. I think we learn a lot more about Yennefer in this story and especially more on why characters other than Geralt don't necessarily view Yennefer in a favourable manner. Manipulation, freedom, jealousy. Oh, it was probably the most emotion provoking story I've experienced so far.
 Eternal Flame -
 This was a funny one for me, in this short story we meet a doppler (shapeshifter among other names) that's causing a little trouble. There's not a lot malicious about this one, I just found myself grinning throughout!
 A Little Sacrifice -
 The opening chapter on this made me really laugh, however in terms of story this is probably my least favourite of the collection. Having said that, Little Eye is a character I think I'm going to yearn for a bit. Poor Dandelion.
 The Sword of Destiny -
 My first time meeting a certain little princess. I really like the additional world building in this one, there are so many more species and lands that I'm discovering exist. Ciri is just the right level of annoying and childish with Geralt's gruffness making the dialogue very amusing indeed. The last few scenes in which we encounter a group of men with some malicious intent was another layer of world-building I wasn't expecting us to actually see.
 Something More -
 The one I was waiting for and ready to launch off the rest of the series. Here we get some backflashes and some more background on Geralt. A really good top off to the collection of stories!

The Guinevere Deception

Title: The Guinevere Deception

Author: Kiersten White

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Year: Nov 2019

Pages: 337

ISBN: 9780525581680

Series: Camelot Rising #1

Genre: YA Fantasy/ Retellings

Reading Time: 9 - 12 Jan

Binding: Owlcrate Hardback

Goodreads

Stars:

★★★☆☆

Blurb:
 Princess Guinevere has come to Camelot to wed a stranger: the charismatic King Arthur. With magic clawing at  the kingdom's borders, the great wizard Merlin conjured a solution: send in Guinevere to be Arthur's wife . . . and his protector from those who want to see the young King's idyllic city fail.
 The catch? Guinevere's real name - and her true identity - is a secret. She is a changeling, a girl who has given up everything to protect Camelot.
 To keep Arthur safe, Guinevere must navigate a court in which the old - including Arthur's own family - demand that things continue as they have been, and the new - those drawn by the dream of Camelot - fight for a better way to live. And always, in the green hearts of forests and the black depths of lakes, magic lies in wait to reclaim the land. Arthur's knights believe they are strong enough to face any threat, but Guinevere knows it will take more than swords to keep Camelot free.
 Deadly jousts, duplicitous knights, and forbidden romances are nothing compared to the greatest threat of all: the girl with the long, knotted black hair, riding on horseback through the dark woods toward Arthur. Because when you're whole existence is a lie, how can you trust even yourself?

Review:
 I love Arthurian legend, it's one that I will always be happy to give a go, I watched the Merlin series for about the hundredth time just before Christmas. I received this book in my Owlcrate subscription, so it was not one I was aware of to pick out.
 As I think about retellings, they really do limit the author a bit. We know the characters that should appear, we know there are certain arcs that will always be made. For that reason a lot of the twists in the adaptation just don't land, I spotted them early on. There are twists that become quite obvious through the book but don't get to be fully revealed, I didn't find them intriguing so much as annoying, I'm not entirely sure if I'll seek out the next books.
 From the blurb we know Guinevere is not the real Guinevere, I have several questions leading from this. What happened to the real Guinevere and how has no one noticed she is missing? Who is this girl in her place? The blurb says a changeling and through the book we see that Guinevere truly knows nothing about herself or women in general. With the first few chapters it seems like she is aware, there as a kind of stealth sorceress. It doesn't take long to see she's not really got a clue, I didn't find her likeable because of this. The further through I got the more questions I had and they just didn't get answered.
 Other characters from the legend are present but they don't play a very big role at all, I struggle to really say what went on or what any of them really did in this book. The pacing was slow and that didn't help me trying to get into it. Lancelot was a bit obvious for me, a slight twist I didn't see but still clear. Guinevere sees threats everywhere except the obvious and dead ends are obvious to us far before anyone else. Very little romance which I honestly expected there to be more of.
 A character I truly couldn't stand was Dindrane, a lower lady of the court. I can't fathom why Guinevere like her, she only tried to insult her and then became nicer when she knew of the standing she could gain with Guinevere's favour. So manipulative and yet Guinevere genuinely liked her! I'm sure there would have been other ladies of court that would have been genuinely grateful for the attention and actually tried to engage with Guinevere. At least we have Brangien.
 I was a bit bored by the magic in this book, I do not ever want to read about knot magic again. Give me something more tangible! The little snippets of dark magic between chapters was lovely, I want a book from THAT perspective.
 I think there were a few things in the first chapters which put me in a critical mind when I started this. On the first page there is a reference to the sun and moon revolving around the Earth. Whilst this would be the accurate belief in a more historical setting, just don't. No. So subtle but I immediately didn't like it. Later began comments from the men towards Guinevere, comments on her being alone with Arthur before being wed and how women's 'passionate natures' would put his virtue under threat. What utter tripe. Again, I accept this may have been believed historically but I just don't think it needs to be written. It made my blood boil.
 Not great, I think the only reason it gets 3 stars is the mythology it's based off which is not even the authors work! If I get offered the next books I might pick them up for some easy reading in a world I like, but I won't be searching for them.

The Last Wish

Title: The Last Wish

Author: Andrzej Sapkowski

Publisher: Gollancz

Year: Jan 1993 (2007 Gollancz)

Pages: 280

ISBN: 9780575082441

Series: The Witcher #0.5

Genre: Fantasy

Reading Time: 5 - 8 Jan

Binding: Paperback

Goodreads

Stars:

★★★★☆

Blurb:

Geralt was always going to stand out, with his white hair and piercing eyes, his cynicism and lack of respect for authority. . . but he is far more than his striking appearance. He is a witcher, with powers that make him a brilliant fighter and merciless assassin - and his targets are the vile fiends that ravage the land.
 As guardian of the innocent, Geralt meets incestuous kings with undead daughters, vengeful djinns, shrieking harpies, lovelorn vampires and despondent ghouls. Many are pernicious, some are wicked, and none are quite as they appear.

Review:
 I bought a signed copy of this book a little while back in the Forbidden Planet London Megastore and had just given myself a new rule that I could only buy one book in a series at a time. I was spending far too much buying whole series of books and not starting them to even find out if I wanted to continue reading. Oh, how foolish I've been. Not only does this mean I've only got this book at my immediate disposal but I'm also not going to be able to pick up any more signed copies until Andrzej comes back to the UK! Going off what I've written so far, you can probably tell I very much enjoyed this book and wish to continue with the rest. I started by watching the Netflix series a few days after release and LOVED it, finally inspired me to pick up the book and I. Need. More.
 The Last Wish is a collection of short stories, some longer than others and with new companions and monsters to keep the stories engaging and refreshing. I believe there are a few name changes from the original Polish works as well, I might have to do a little digging to find out why. All are centred from Geralt and that makes for some action packed stories and a slight bit more detail of what it takes to be and become a witcher. Given I'd watched the series I already knew of Yennefer and I'm aware she's a big character. I'm a bit shocked she's only in one of these stories and one of the last ones at that. If I were a fan of the series when this was published I'd be annoyed at the lack of her.
 These short stories take place before the action of the main series and so I've seen it recommended online to read this book, followed by Sword of Destiny and then the main series. It's interesting that Netflix has started off with these stories too, it worked well! One thing I didn't work out for a while in the series is that everything is set at a different time. The stories in the book are not in order and I just can't work out why. If someone knows the purpose, please enlighten me! Dramatically on screen it works but as a book I can see it only working as you may hear stories in that world as gossip (out of order and therefore piecing things together). It is probably the only reason I'm not giving this book 5 stars.
 This world is rich with magic and creatures, some pleasant and more not. In short, the base of a fantastic series. Geralt fights them and is a character that will cross countless towns and kingdoms in order to do so. I am sold! Not to mention his dry humour is entirely up my alley!
 On another note, this is a very easy read in my mind. I wasn't expecting this given it has gone through translation. Bravo. Very good!
 If you're looking to get your teeth in to an adult fantasy world, I'd highly recommend this. I'm already obsessed.

Reverie

Author: Ryan La Sala
Publisher: sourcebooks fire
Year: Jan 2020
Pages: 393
ISBN: 978149268266
Genre: YA Fantasy
Reading Time: Dec - 5 Jan
Binding: ARC - Advanced Readers Copy
Goodreads

Stars:
★★★☆☆

Blurb: 

 All Kane Montgomery knows for certain is that the police found him half dead in the river. He can't remember anything since the accident that robbed him of his memories a few weeks ago. And the world feels different . . . reality itself seems different.
 So when three of his classmates claim to be his friends and the only people who can truly tell him what's going on, he doesn't know what to believe or who he can trust. But as he and the others are dragged into unimaginable worlds that materialize out of nowhere - the gym warps into a subterranean temple, a historical home nearby blooms into a Victorian romance rife with scandal and sorcery - Kane realizes that nothing in his life is an accident, and only he can stop the city from unraveling.

 Review:

 I received an arc copy of this book from the Fairyloot stall at YALC, no I've not come around to reading and finishing it until it is actually published. Damn work and damn my reading slump since I've started working, I WILL kick that slump this year!
 This book had good idea to build on, perhaps my reading slump has reduced my creative juices but I struggled with this one a little bit. There is a little bit of mystery and action in the first few chapters which will pull in the attention of most readers. I found that descriptions of some creatures and setting in this book and in these first chapters didn't really allow me to visualise them completely and so I struggled to really start reading this. I hit chapter 6 and was able to pick up the pace a bit wuicker as the action really started.
 Our characters are good, I wish they had a bit more depth. Let me be clear they're not shallow, an effort is made to specifically point out that they are not. Despite this I don't see a lot of arcs for characters or any real building of the basic understanding of them. Kane's limited memory could be a reason for this but for me that should be why this book should be filled so much more with learning so much about them. I love that Kane is gay, bringing in a bit of LGTBQ+ representation and there is enough for there to be some romance but also not enough to put off those that wouldn't relate to that kind of romance. Our villain could have been amazing but I really didn't get the full wham!
 The pacing of the book I found was quite good, even if it was a bit mashed together where we get to see the other worlds, I both wanted to get back to the main plot yet explore the reveries themselves. Discombobulated a bit as Kane would feel it.
 I think the explanations of the world and what had happened to Kane were a bit hit and miss. I know things were explained but they either weren't very interesting or didn't make sense as I finished this book twenty minute ago and don't remember them!

 All in all I liked the idea of this book, but in it's arc format there is a bit more work on the execution that need to be done and some real plot points from the beginning that need to be tied up at the end. The real world consequences were not properly addressed. I imagine this book would be better adapted to the screen and I see it a bit like that scene in Dr Strange where he faces Dormammu, totally trippy and with the plot all over the place but the fun colours make it all ok.