The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 284

Publisher -

Source - Bought

Blurb from Goodreads

The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.

If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.

And there are no strangers in the town of Near.

These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.

But when an actual stranger-a boy who seems to fade like smoke-appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.

The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.

As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi's need to know-about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.

Part fairy tale, part love story, Victoria Schwab's debut novel is entirely original yet achingly familiar: a song you heard long ago, a whisper carried by the wind, and a dream you won't soon forget.



My Review

I think this is my first time reading this author although I have heard the name many times in book groups and sure I have a few others on my tbrm. This is a standalone, punted as a half fairy tale half love story, I am not sure I would use any of them to describe it to be honest. Lexi is really close to her little sister, her mother hasn't been right since her dad died and uncle Otto is taking the lead of man in the house. Lexi is very much like her dad was and into tracking and getting in and about the thick of everything whereas at sixteen in the village it should be more ladylike and focused on wedding, absolutely not what Lexi has in mind. When a stranger is spotted in the village and then a little child goes missing from their bedroom, a hunt for the stranger begins. When another goes missing the townsfolk are after blood rather than answers. Lexi wants to know who the stranger is and she knows exactly where to go to find out.

I don't know for me there was so many seemingly separate threads that didn't exactly gel or come together or in some cases what was the point. The old witch tale that was used to scare the kids, I liked and thought it was well done. The kids disappearing was almost pied piper vibes, there was no harm or force they just seemed to have disappeared with no trace.

The sisters that Lexi goes to I would have loved to have heard more about them, mysterious, elderly witches, the only two left in the village. I think they would have made for great reading and maybe the author will revisit and do a story on them. I just think for a book about witches (ok The Near Witch implies just one) we wold have had more witches.

I didn't get the mob mentality of wanting to hunt down the stranger, surely you would want to capture them and get some answers, most importantly where are the kids. There were things I liked, things I didn't and some missed opportunities I felt but overall it was fine, 3/5 for me.

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Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 386

Publisher - Wildfire books

Source - Vine

Blurb from Goodreads

A mesmerising retelling of the ancient Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. Perfect for fans of CIRCE, A SONG OF ACHILLES, and THE SILENCE OF THE GIRLS.

As Princesses of Crete and daughters of the fearsome King Minos, Ariadne and her sister Phaedra grow up hearing the hoofbeats and bellows of the Minotaur echo from the Labyrinth beneath the palace. The Minotaur - Minos's greatest shame and Ariadne's brother - demands blood every year.

When Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives in Crete as a sacrifice to the beast, Ariadne falls in love with him. But helping Theseus kill the monster means betraying her family and country, and Ariadne knows only too well that in a world ruled by mercurial gods - drawing their attention can cost you everything.

In a world where women are nothing more than the pawns of powerful men, will Ariadne's decision to betray Crete for Theseus ensure her happy ending? Or will she find herself sacrificed for her lover's ambition?

Ariadne gives a voice to the forgotten women of one of the most famous Greek myths, and speaks to their strength in the face of angry, petulant Gods. Beautifully written and completely immersive, this is an exceptional debut novel.


My Review

I don't think I have read any retellings or if I have it has been one and a long time ago. Ariadne and Phaedra are princesses in Crete, their father King Minos and this is the retelling of Theseus and the Minotaur. I remember the Minotaur story and the labyrinth maze as a kid but didn't know its origins. The book looks at so much more than just King Minos and the Minotaur there are other Gods and legends mentioned, their stories and how they link or relate(d) to each other.

A running theme within the stories of females suffering because of the choices of men (Gods) and the after effects and ripples of that. Absolutely relevant (in some aspects) even in our modern day real life the parallels, greed, infidelity, power, lust, fascination, sex, obsession, wrath of Gods, death, blood lust, parenthood - the list goes on and on.

Ariadne is the main character, we follow through her innocence growing up then exposed to sex, abhorrence with things she bears witness to and experiences. Family ties, cause/effect, there is a level of this that some readers may find hits an emotive spot in them, depending on your life experiences identifying with some of the characters, stories and themes.

This doesn't read like a debut and it has renewed my want for reading myths and legends, some of the stories I hadn't heard since I was a kid and even then only snippets. I LOVED have a character we could walk through these with and quite a few I hadn't heard of at all. Retellings seem to be popular at the moment and I can't wait to grab some more, 4/5 for me this time. I will be keeping an active eye out for Saint's future works!

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Dragged to the Depths by Cheryl Elaine Blog Tour

Today is my stop on the blog tour for "Dragged to the Depths" by Cheryl Elaine. My stop features my wee review, if you like legends and romance you will love this book!


Dragged to the Depths: A Cherry Laine Fantasy by Cheryl Elaine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - Kindle

Publisher - AAH Publishing

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

Tormented with grief after losing her father, Emilia journeyed to her gran's, in a desperate attempt to escape the memories surrounding her. But once there, she found little rest and respite on the remote Orkney islands after discovering a supernatural world under the sea.

The gods, goddesses and unfamiliar species of Mother Earth's oceanic lands welcomed her with open arms - particularly Erox, the love of Emilia's life. Her eyes were opened to the greed and hatred of her fellow mortals; it wasn't a question of whether she was simply following destiny - she knew the path to RESET was one she could not ignore.

Erox smiled before giving Emilia a lingering kiss. She didn't hesitate, and gave herself freely to the vortex before heading into the unknown. Could she save herself, let alone everyone else on the planet?

Dragged to the Depths will lead readers into a magical world full of secrets, legacies and adventure. An apocalyptic love story for those who believe there's someone for everyone, somewhere...



My Review

Guys, first thing to say is this is not normally a book I would read but it is set in Orkney and it has mystical sea creatures. I LOVE mythical creatures, we grew up with tales of selkies, mermaids and magical creatures in the waters so this piqued my interest. Emilia heads to the Orkney islands with her mother who is struggling with addiction after a bereavement. Emilia's gran Rose takes over her care and allows Emilia to process her own grief, loss and sadness. This is what draws Erox to Emilia, he knows it is a love that cannot be however both cannot deny the powerful draw of love and give into their feelings. Obstacles in their way, barriers you can only imagine and their union kicks off events that had consequences for the world as we know it.

There is a lot going on in this book, teenage angst, grief, dealing with an addict mother, removal of everything she knows. Personal growth, going through her own emotions and loss then encountering someone unlike anyone she has ever met. Experiencing love for the first time and having to process who Erox is, what he represents and how he fits in our world.

The magical world Emilia encounters was for me enveloping in a world I first met when I was a kid so it conjured up lots of memories for me. I think the location for the story was well chosen, Scottish waters have many a myth to them and it goes perfect with the magical world Elaine creates.

Mythical creatures, love, sacrifice, power, greed, magic, family, relationships are just some of the themes in the book. I love the world created, younger characters can put me off a bit especially when it is a deep love kicking everything off but I soon settled in and couldn't put the book down. Initially you think you can guess exactly where the story is going, soon enough I had the rug pulled out from under me, gripped, not knowing what was coming next. It is a mixed bag, immersing the reader almost from the get go and managing to surprise (I actually gasped out loud at one particular plot twist) engage and compel the reader page after page. 4.5 out of 5 for me this time, this is actually my first by this author, I have another from her but in a different genre, I will be bumping it up the TBRM. Thanks to Shell for asking me to join the tour and for bringing a wee gem of a read my way I most likely would have over looked. I think I need to go digging through my books or order some Scottish myths and legends, I forgot how much I enjoyed stuff like this!

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Please check out the other stops on the blog tour as everyone has different content.

Beyond The Sea by Melissa Bailey

Beyond the Sea by Melissa Bailey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 304

Publisher - Arrow

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

The second novel from Melissa Bailey, author of The Medici Mirror...

One summer's day, Freya's husband and son vanish at sea.

A year on, and struggling to cope, Freya returns to the lighthouse-keeper's cottage on a remote Hebridean island, where she and her family spent so many happy times.

Haunted by visions of her old life, Freya's dreams are dark and disturbed. And when a stranger, Daniel, is washed ashore during a storm, they turn even more menacing.

As dream and reality start to merge, Daniel seems to be following Freya's every move. What does he want from her and is he everything he seems to be?

Is her mind playing tricks? Or is the danger that she senses very real?




My review

Freya has lost her husband and young son to the sea, a year on she heads back to the Hebridean island filled with memories of her family. When she and her sister come to the aid of a stranger, Daniel, she soon realises they have things in common. Whilst Freya is struggling with her grief and some eerie happenings Daniel appears more and more, is there more than meets the eye to Daniel?

So this story breaks down into a few parts. The setting, Hebridean island was covered in vivid detail, I could picture the beautiful setting, the land, the sea, the surroundings. It is one of those locations that makes the reader want to go from book location to actual location. I do hope to visit one day.

Myths and legends come up in this book and I found myself putting the book down and googling some of them, Scottish stories and I want to buy a book on them. I love when a book peaks your interest and I used to love stories like that as a kid so I will be rekindling my love of those kind of stories.

Grief and loss is a big part of the story, it doesn't depress you or pull you down, instead taking you on a journey with Freya, adjusting to life and revisting memories. Learning to cope and keep going especially when you have no closure which I think every reader can connect with on some level. It is a story I wasn't expecting to be how it was, grief, love, loss, legend, a bit spooky at parts, snippets of almost a thriller, stories within a story. It was just really well written. 4/5 for me for this one, this was my first dance with Bailey, it won't be my last. I hope she has other books in similar veins or more focused on the old stories and legends, I could have read that all day long!

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