The Starless Sea | Review

When I first heard that Erin Morgenstern was releasing a new book, I knew I needed it in my life. And it certainly did not disappoint!

See below for my review and a giveaway for a SIGNED hardcover edition of The Starless Sea thanks to the folks at Penguin Random House Australia!

The Empress Chronicles by Suzy Vitello

Published by Diversion Books


The Empress Chronicles by Suzy Vitello
Publication Date: September 4th 2014
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In this dazzling first book in the EMPRESS CHRONICLES series by the author of THE MOMENT BEFORE, one courageous girl seeks keys to the past to unlock the future…

When city girl Liz is banished to a rural goat farm on the outskirts of Portland, the 15-year-old feels her life spiraling out of control. She can’t connect to her father or his young girlfriend, and past trauma adds to her sense of upheaval. The only person who seems to keep her sane is a troubled boy who is fighting his own demons.  But all of this changes in one historical instant.

One-hundred fifty years earlier, Elisabeth of Bavaria has troubles of her own. Her childhood is coming to a crashing end, and her destiny is written in the form of a soothsaying locket that has the ability to predict true love. But evil is afoot in the form of a wicked enchantress who connives to wield the power of the locket for her own destructive ends.

When Liz finds a timeworn diary, and within it a locket, she discovers the secrets and desires of the young Bavarian princess who will one day grow up to be the legendary Empress of Austria. It is in the pages of the diary that these two heroines will meet, and it is through their interwoven story that Liz will discover she has the power to rewrite history—including her own…

Readers of books like Rachel Harris’s MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY will love THE EMPRESS CHRONICLES

The Short
The Empress Chronicles is a fun and promising start to a new series. This first book really builds up towards the end. I am certainly intrigued, however I feel like the ending was cut short a little too abruptly. I would have loved to have been introduced to some of that excitement a little earlier.

The two main characters, Liz and Sisi, have very distinct voices, which worked wonderfully for the dual points of view. Their development throughout the story was wonderfully executed, and I loved getting to know the two characters.


The Long




About the Author
Suzy Vitello is a proud founding member of a critique group recently dubbed The Hottest Writing Group in Portland, and her short stories have won fellowships and prizes (including the Atlantic Monthly Student Writing Award, and an Oregon Literary Arts Fellowship).

suzyvitello.com | goodreads.com/suzyvitello | facebook.com/SuzyVitelloBooks | twitter.com/suzy_vitello

The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan

I received this book for free from Bookworld in exchange for an honest review.


The Narrow Road by Richard Flanagan
Series: n/a
Released: September 3rd 2013
Pages: 467
Source: Bookworld
Buy it: The Book Depository | Bookworld
     - Both have free shipping worldwide

Richard Flanagan's story — of Dorrigo Evans, an Australian doctor haunted by a love affair with his uncle's wife — journeys from the caves of Tasmanian trappers in the early twentieth century to a crumbling pre-war beachside hotel, from a Thai jungle prison to a Japanese snow festival, from the Changi gallows to a chance meeting of lovers on the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Taking its title from 17th-century haiku poet Basho's travel journal, The Narrow Road To The Deep North is about the impossibility of love. At its heart is one day in a Japanese slave labour camp in August 1943. As the day builds to its horrific climax, Dorrigo Evans battles and fails in his quest to save the lives of his fellow POWs, a man is killed for no reason, and a love story unfolds.

Image & Synopsis

The Short
This book... Where do I even start?

The Narrow Road to the Deep North had such a profound impact on me. I often had to stop mid-sentence and contemplate everything; this book, people, life. I didn't even realise at first that it had drawn me in so deeply, but when I finished I was catatonic.

Richard Flanagan is extremely talented. He has such a way with words - his style is so unassuming, but then I find myself needing to take a step back from the book and just breathe for a moment. Every single character is illustrated so vividly, and in such a short amount of time, that I found myself empathising with people that seem to have no sense of humanity.

Stunning. Absolutely stunning. One of the best books I have read.


The Long

The Mercenary Sea Vol.1 by Kel Symons & Mathew Reynolds

I received this book for free through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Mercenary Sea Volume 1 by Kel Symons & Mathew Reynolds
Series: The Mercenary Sea
Released: September 16th 2014
Pages: 160
Source: Netgalley
Buy it: The Book Depository
     - Free shipping worldwide

Action and adventure set in 1938! The South Seas. Japan has invaded China. War in Europe is imminent. Ex-bootlegger Jack Harper captains the Venture, a refitted German U-Boat, with a crew of expats, mercenaries, and treasure hunters. They do whatever it takes to stay afloat, often running up against pirates, headhunters, and spies. Jack is always one step away from the greatest score of their lives: finding the legendary lost island of Koji Ra.

This trade paperback collects issues #1-6 of the critically acclaimed series, as Jack and the crew of the submarine Venture take a job offered by a shady American operative: rescue a British agent trapped behind enemy lines who has valuable information about the Japanese war effort.

Image & Synopsis

The Mercenary Sea Vol. 1 is a promising start to what I hope turns out to be a really thrilling and exciting series. While overall I enjoyed this first volume, I feel like it has the potential to be so much more.

I didn’t quite find myself wholly invested in the story and the characters. Some of the scenes seem a bit rushed, and I would have liked to spend more time getting to know the characters. This does of course need to happen over time especially as we see each character develop and grow, but I didn’t find myself connecting with any of them until the last few pages of the volume. I would have liked to learn more earlier on as I often found myself forgetting who was who and whether they were allies or enemies.

That being said, I did enjoy the amount of action that came along with being thrust right into the story without the setup slowing down the pace. I loved how the combat scenes were executed - they were quite gripping in how fast paced they were, but also visually they were stunning and explosive.

Continuing on with the visual aspects of The Mercenary Sea, I absolutely adored the illustration style. In the absence of outlines, bold and contrasting colours created detail. The panels I found the most stunning were those with silhouettes - different shades were used in order to portray depth of field, but often these muted palettes were contrasted against a gradient of vibrant colours in the background. I couldn’t help but stop and admire them.

I’m really excited to see more of the story and the characters. It has such an intriguing premise, and with the dynamic between some of the characters, I’m sure there will be some amusing, awkward and/or hilarious scenes to come.

Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley

Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley
Series: n/a
Released: July 24th 2012
Pages: 228
Source: Purchased
Buy it: The Book Depository (Free Shipping)

In the remarkable, bizarre, and heart-wrenching summer before Cullen Witter's senior year of high school, he is forced to examine everything he thinks he understands about his small and painfully dull Arkansas town. His cousin overdoses; his town becomes absurdly obsessed with the alleged reappearance of an extinct woodpecker; and most troubling of all, his sensitive, gifted fifteen-year-old brother, Gabriel, suddenly and inexplicably disappears.

Meanwhile, the crisis of faith spawned by a young missionary’s disillusion in Africa prompts a frantic search for meaning that has far-reaching consequences. As distant as the two stories initially seem, they are woven together through masterful plotting and merge in a surprising and harrowing climax.

This extraordinary tale from a rare literary voice finds wonder in the ordinary and illuminates the hope of second chances.

Image & Synopsis

The Short
Where Things Come Back is a powerful, shocking, unexpected contemporary that left me stunned. Whilst I found the beginning a little slow and it took some time for me to grow connected to the characters, the story progressed in intensity very quickly. The beautiful writing and the ending really stood out for me, making it well worth the read.

The Long

The Assassin's Curse & The Pirate's Wish by Cassandra Rose Clarke

The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke
Series: The Assassin's Curse Series
Released: October 2nd 2012
Pages: 298
Source: Purchased
Buy it: The Book Depository | Book World
     - Both have free shipping worldwide

Ananna of the Tanarau abandons ship when her parents try to marry her off to another pirate clan. But that only prompts the scorned clan to send an assassin after her. When Ananna faces him down one night, armed with magic she doesn't really know how to use, she accidentally activates a curse binding them together.

To break the spell, Ananna and the assassin must complete three impossible tasks--all while grappling with evil wizards, floating islands, haughty manticores, runaway nobility, strange magic...and the growing romantic tension between them.

Image & Synopsis

The Pirate's Wish by Cassandra Rose Clarke

Series: The Assassin's Curse Series #2

Released: June 13th 2013

Pages: 330

Source: Purchased

Buy it: The Book Depository | Book World

     - Both have free shipping worldwide

After setting out to break the curse that binds them together, the pirate Ananna and the assassin Naji find themselves stranded on an enchanted island in the north with nothing but a sword, their wits, and the secret to breaking the curse: complete three impossible tasks. With the help of their friend Marjani and a rather unusual ally, Ananna and Naji make their way south again, seeking what seems to be beyond their reach.

Unfortunately, Naji has enemies from the shadowy world known as the Mists, and Ananna must still face the repercussions of going up against the Pirate Confederation. Together, Naji and Ananna must break the curse, escape their enemies — and come to terms with their growing romantic attraction.

Image & Synopsis

An incredibly fun and exciting series! I thoroughly enjoyed these books, and if you would like to support the author and keep them available to buy, then please spread the word or purchase the books. The publishing company has closed and your support can help to ensure a re-release of these books in the future!

Read more over at Cassandra Rose Clarke's blog: here