duskk_novels's reviews
50 reviews

 4/5 A dark, enchanting novel inspired by West African folklore, rich with magic and action-packed adventures. The story is set in the prosperous city of Ziran where the Solstasia festival celebrates the passing of Bahia's comet, one that passes every 50 years and commemorates the start of a new era. We follow Malik, a refugee from the war-ravaged Eshra Mountains, who has struck a deal with a vengeful spirit. Kill the Heiress of Ziran - or have his little sister Nadia, die in his hands. The Heiress, Karina Alahari, whose kingdom is rife with mutiny and swarming with murderous traitors, witnesses the assassination of her mother. To save her realm falling under control of corrupted leaders, she invokes dark magic to resurrect the Queen and restore peace in Ziran. This involves a human sacrifice - the victor of the Solstasia Festival games. A gripping fantasy in which a grieving crown princess and a desperate refugee find themselves on a to heart-pounding, skull-shattering mission to destroy each other. But when Malik rigs his way into the games, an unexpected attraction ignites between them, leaving them further away from their deadly aspirations. Death is coming closer, and its taking either the whole of Ziran or the life of little six-year-old Nadia.  

A beautifully written story with incredible world-building and characters. Roseanne Brown has a captivating writing style, bringing West African Mythology to life and brimming every page with magic. This book was mesmerizing, and I could not put it down. West African mythology has become my absolute favourite and Brown did amazing in merging the characters with African myths and legends. My favourite character was definitely Malik as he is not portrayed in a way that contradicts typical ‘heroes’. He was a fearful boy, tackled with many mental health issues like anxiety and low self-esteem and was constantly put down and putting himself down. He honestly had no attributes of a typical ‘hero’ but that is what made me love him so much. Despite the struggles he was burdened with, he was able to manipulate them to his advantage. I could feel myself relating to Malik on multiple levels. 

The reason this book did not get 5 stars was because of the romance. I believe the romance between Malik and Karina was very unnecessary and forced. This book would have been fine without the romance, if not better. It just felt very forced and seemed to only exist to fulfil a romantic element common in mythology novels. It really did not need romance between these characters and when reading, the love between them felt very unrealistic. I did not like this illogical romance at all and was a poor attempt at an enemies-to-lovers. Despite this, I would definitely give this a reread as the writing and plotline was just incredible. 

OH. MY. GOD. There was not one word of this book I didn't enjoy.

Flashbombs, eye-gouging, plot twists capable of breaking your jaw, complicated romance, horrific back stories, deadly characters and an even deadlier chain of events. Human weapons, lethal magic and drugs able to manipulate the essence of human nature. Oh, and a hell of a lot of blood, gore and broken bones.

This book was a mind-fu*king madness and I loved, lived and breathed every second of it. This is one of my favourite books of all time and I CANNOT WAIT to reread it.

Miss Leigh, you crazy for this one x

PS: Kaz Brekker, I'm mad about you

A powerfully moving novel focusing on a little boy and the abuse he suffers at the hands of his father. Forced to view the world through his father's atheist beliefs, he is shielded from the existence of God and trapped in an endless storm of his own unanswered questions: How did life begin ? Why does life exist ? what purpose does life serve ? If there is no God, then who put me here?

Then one day, he meets a beautiful little girl and her father, devoted believers of God with souls of compassion and innocence. When they bring this little boy into their world, he learns of the existence of a loving, merciful God and finally, the pieces of life are starting to fit together and the answers to his questions are slowly emerging. But when a tragic, horrifying series of events cascades before him, this vulnerable, innocent little boy embarks on a terrifying passage to uncover the origins of the human soul and to meet this so-called invisible God

The Mighty Atom is a heart-rending novel that explores the evils and dangers of atheism and the terrifying lengths one will reach to understand life and its purpose of existence. These words encompass a magnitude of powerful messages and the importance of combining science and religion to explain life and its haunting complexity

I enjoyed this novel with its soul-crushing series of events and captivating characters. However, this was written in 1896 so the prose contained lots of big, fancy words which I still do not know the meaning of to this day. This is not a criticism seeing as it is a 19th century novel but I did struggle to get through the writing. Overall, the prose is angelic with vivid descriptions and imagery so when reading, I am confident readers will understand the gist of it, just like I did. The characters were my favourite. Corelli did a magnificent job crafting characters and using their symbolism to get her message across. An enjoyable story and definitely one for classics fans :) 
 

5/5 ♡ 1926 and Shanghai continues to feed on the debauchery, chaos, and greed that has imprisoned its civilians for generations. In its bleeding heart lay two gangs whose bloodlust for each other tears Shanghai from its core.

The White Flowers. Consisting of the Montagovs, merciless, calculating and who stop at nothing to uphold their reputation of savagery. 

And the Scarlets. Consisting of the Cai family, whose loyalty to each other runs thicker than the blood they spill on the street. 

However, a madness has started terrorising Shanghai. An inescapable, unstoppable, unyielding madness that forces you to gouge out your own throat. And soon, gang and civilians alike, people are dropping like flies. One. By. One.

Juliette Cai, heiress of the Scarlets and Roma Montagov, heir of the White Flowers must put down their arms, set aside their bloodfeud and work together to stop the madness ravaging their city. 

'For if they can't stop this mayhem, there will be no city left to rule'

Time is running out. Lives are being lost. And what's left of the city is burning to the ground. 

This is a dark, twisted masterpiece of war, love and betrayal that unveils the inhumanity which unfolds in a person's pursuit of power.

10/10 and perfect for fantasy/action/thriller fans. Intriguing, gripping, this book was a massive adventure 💫

My favourite characters were undoubtedly Marshall and Benedict. Their friendship was honestly so wholesome and I loved seeing it blossom. It was so beautiful and I admired their loyalty towards each other and towards Roma. The ending was such a heartbreaking plot twist that included these characters and I believe it was such a fantastic way to show how damaging a person's greed and pursuit of power can be to innocent people. The ending was my absolute favourite and I cannot wait to read the second book.

Ps: Brace yourself because you're in for a flood of plot twists, bombshells and cliffhangers. Good luck x

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A review by you! 
The Toymakers, by Robert Dinsdale
adventurous dark emotional sad slow-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0 

10/10 💫 A beautifully written story filled with magic and mystery. The events that took place, the characters I met and lost on the way, the toys that were once a bundle of felt, sandalwood and wire that I watched surge with life, energy and the capability of altering the lives of their creators, all this made me wish that Papa Jack's Emporium was real. So I myself could witness the wonder, magic and mystery that could never be found in our very real world.

This story captured my heart from the moment I met Cathy Wray. An innocent child to whom I became attached to and to whom the cruelty of the world plummeted upon. A pregnant runaway who fled to the safety of Papa Jack's Emporium to save her baby from being forcefully taken away from her. From the beginning to the end, I felt her happiness, her pain, and her anger and the way her story perfectly fit in with the other characters was magnificent. She came and brought with her a new, wonderful energy that transformed the entire emporium. What I would give to visit Papa Jack's Emporium and watch a paper tree unfold, expand and bloom before my very eyes.

A book that not only brought childhoods to life, it perfectly conveyed the damaging, haunting consequences of war and how, no matter how old we are and what cruelties we face in life, the child we once were will always remain. 

No doubt Papa Jack was my number one favourite character. From start to finish we see how merciless life was to Papa Jack. From losing his children, fighting on a battlefield that haunted him for the rest of his life and watching his own son be drafted for world war 2, Papa Jack still had compassion, love for people and a heart so strong that not even war could break it. He brought toys to life, gave them soul and brought so much joy to the children who visited his emporium. He made the most wonderful of creations to the point where he used them to save his fellow prisoners of war from mental deterioration.

His eldest son Kaspar was a mirror image of his father. With endless generosity and love for people and an unbelievable imagination when it came to creating toys. Another favourite character of mine. I wish this toyshop was real. The creations in this book are beyond imagination. Robert Dinsdale is one of the most creative and innovative writers ♡

This is one story I will never forget. The feelings I had, the emotions I felt and the messages this book conveyed were powerful. They opened my eyes to a lot of things and encouraged me to think deeply about the issues in this world that relate to the events of the story. I hope to read many books like this one.

Imagine a world where you are born with the power of life and death. Unfathomable abilities gifted and trusted to you by the gods. The ability to unleash tsunamis, create infernos, inflict disease and tame even the most savage of creatures. This powerful magic surges through your veins and serves to protect all that you love.

Now imagine it all being stolen from you. Everything you are, everything you worked for. Your power. Your strength. Your family. Left slaughtered for the maggots to feed on.

This is the reality that Zelie Adebola is forced to endure, born with the ability to command the spirits of the dead. For centuries, her people have been oppressed by the Orishian monarchy who take every measure possible to purge the land of magic. For centuries, people with magic have been persecuted, tortured and murdered in ways the mind can never comprehend. Including Zelie's own mother.

Enough is ENOUGH.

When Amari Olubori, the heir and future queen of Orisha, escapes her kingdom to avenge the oppressed, her path leads her to Zelie. From raging bloodbaths, merciless manhunts to raising an army of the dead (literally), these two fugitives take on the force of the world to finally bring magic back to Orisha for good. 

Inspired by South African Mythology, this book was rich in magical imagery and beautiful language. Short chapters with a gripping writing style, I was hooked from start to finish. Not to mention the plot twists that almost split me in half.

Each character was magnificently created and each embody such a critical element in the story. Its difficult to choose a favourite when I love each one for their own reasons.

This is my absolute number one favourite fantasy fiction. Such an incredible book and I cannot wait for the third one to come this year. 

'They tried to bury us. Now we RISE'