Category: Trilogy

Crookhaven – The School For Thieves by J. J. Arcanjo

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The Blurb On The Back:

”Here, we will teach you to do wrong, but only so that one day you will put the world right.”

When talented pickpocket Gabriel is recruited to Crookhaven, he is welcomes into a whole new world.  This secret school trains its students in classes like Forgery, Deception and Crimnastics – all so that one day they will go out into the world and do good.

On the first day, the mysterious headmaster Caspian announced the infamous Crooked Cup competition.  Determined to win, Gabriel soon realises his best chance will be to assemble a crew of multi-talented misfits.  Except that’s not exactly encouraged.

But when has breaking a few rules ever stopped a crook?

CROOKHAVEN – THE SCHOOL FOR THIEVES was released in the United Kingdom on 2nd March 2023.  Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

You can order CROOKHAVEN – THE SCHOOL FOR THIEVES by J. J. Arcanjo from Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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Scrublands by Chris Hammer

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The Blurb On The Back:

In a country town ravaged by drought, a charismatic young priest opens fire on his congregation, killing five men before being shot dead himself.

A year later, journalist Martin Scarsden arrives in Riversend to write a feature on the anniversary of the tragedy.  But the stories he hears from the locals don’t fit with the accepted view of events.

Just as Martin believes he is making headway, a shocking discovery rocks the town.  The bodies of two backpackers are found in the scrublands.  The media descends on Riversend and Martin is the one in the spotlight.

Wrestling with his own demons, Martin finds himself risking everything to uncover a truth that becomes more complex with every twist.  But there are powerful forces determined to stop him, and he has no idea how far they will go to make sure the town’s secrets stay buried.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

You can order SCRUBLANDS by Chris Hammer from Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu

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The Blurb On The Back:

1967: Ye Wenjie witnesses Red Guards beat her father to death during China’s Cultural Revolution.  This singular event will shape not only the rest of her life but also the future of mankind.

Four decades later, Beijing police ask nanotech engineer Wang Miao to infiltrate a secretive cabal of scientists after a spate of inexplicable suicides.  Wang’s investigation will lead him to a mysterious virtual world ruled by the intractable and unpredictable interaction of its three suns.

This is the Three-body Problem and it is the key to everything: the key to the scientists’ death, the key to a conspiracy that spans light years and the key to the extinction-level threat humanity now faces. 

You can order THE THREE BODY PROBLEM by Cixin Liu from Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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Rebel Skies by Ann Sei Lin

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The Blurb On The Back:

Welcome to a world of sky ships, flying cities and powerful paper sprites …

When servant girl Kurara’s trick of making paper come to life turns out to be a power treasured across the empire, she escapes her old life to become a Crafter on board a skyship.  There she learns to hunt wild paper spirits called shikigami – and a whole new world begins to unfold. 

REBEL SKIES was released in the United Kingdom on 5th May 2022.  Thanks to Walker Books for the review copy of this book.

You can order REBEL SKIES by Ann Sei Lin from Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson

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The Blurb On The Back:

Dead girl walking.

Pip Fitz-Amobi is haunted by her last investigation.  But soon a new case finds her and this time it’s all about Pip.

She has a stalker, one who keeps asking: Who will look for you when you’re the one who disappears?

Pip soon discovers a connection between her stalker and a local serial killer, but the police refuse to act.  As the dangerous game plays out it’s clear that if Pip doesn’t find the answers, she’s as good as dead …

You can order AS GOOD AS DEAD by Holly Jackson from Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

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Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson

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The Blurb On The Back:

Someone is missing.  Nobody’s talking.  But this time EVERYONE is listening … 

Pip Fitz-Amobi is not a detective any more.  Her true crime podcast about the murder case she solved last year has gone viral.  Yet Pip insists her investigating days are behind her.

But she will have to go back on her word when someone close to her goes missing and the police can’t do anything about it.  If they won’t investigate, then Pip will, uncovering more of her town’s dark secrets along the way.  But will she find the answers before time runs out?

You can order GOOD GIRL, BAD BLOOD by Holly Jackson from Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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The Blue Death by Joan Brady

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The Blurb On The Back:

For generations the Freyls have ruled Springfield, Illinois, capital of a state of Great Lakes and rivers.  Now convicted killer David Marion threatens their invincibility, and he threatens it from within their own ranks.

Water: it’s blue gold, and the price on world markets is soaring.  When Springfield gets a new mayor, it finds its supply under threat, not only from corporations out for the money but from a disease that appears from nowhere, that nobody can identify and nobody can treat.

None of this interests David Marion until his own past surfaces and he finds himself caught between multinational leviathans at war over America’s heartland.  

You can order THE BLUE DEATH by Joan Brady from Amazon UK, or Waterstone’s.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the review copy of this book.

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The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

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The Blurb On The Back:

I am a Belle.  I control beauty.

In the opulent world of Orléans, the people are born grey and damned, and only a Belle’s powers can make them beautiful. 

Camellia Beauregard wants to be the favourite Belle – the one chosen by the queen to live in the royal palace and be recognised as the most talented Belle in the land.

But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favourite is not everything she always dreamed it would be.  Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that her powers may be far greater – and far darker – than she ever imagined.

When the queen asks Camellia to save the ailing princess by using her powers in unintended ways, she faces an impossible decision: protect herself and the way of the Belles, or risk her own life, and change the world forever … 

You can order THE BELLES by Dhonielle Clayton from Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin

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The Blurb On The Back:

Dazzling with imagination, brimming with passion and crackling with wit, The City We Became is a modern masterpiece of culture, identity, magic and myth in contemporary New York City.

Every great city has a soul.  Some are ancient as myths; others are as new and destructive as children.  New York?  She’s got six – and all six will be called to arms in the greatest battle the city has ever fought.

You can order THE CITY WE BECAME by N. K. Jemisin from Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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Agatha Oddly – Murder At The Museum by Lena Jones

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The Blurb On The Back:

Agatha Oddly: No case too odd … 

Agatha Oddlow’s just stumbled across her next big case … a murder at the British Museum.

But as Agatha starts to dig beneath the surface she begins to suspect that a wider plot is afoot below London – a plot involving a disused Tube station, a huge fireworks display and five thousand tonnes of gold bullion.

Luckily, Agatha’s on the trail …

You can buy AGATHA ODDLY: MURDER AT THE MUSEUM by Lena Jones from Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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Children Of Blood And Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

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The Blurb On The Back:

They killed my mother.

They took our magic.

They tried to bury us.

NOW WE RISE.

Zélie remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic.  When different clans ruled – Burners igniting flames, Tiders beckoning waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoning forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared.  Under the orders of a ruthless king, anyone with powers was targeted and killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.  Only a few people remain with the power to use magic, and they must stay hidden.

Zélie is one such person.  Now she has a chance to bring back magic to her people and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must learn to harness her powers and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where strange creatures prowl, and vengeful spirits wait in the waters.  Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to come to terms with the strength of her magic – and her growing feelings for an enemy.

You can order Children Of Blood And Bone by Tomi Adeyemi from Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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Dancing Jax by Robin Jarvis

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The Blurb On The Back:

Some books should be banned or destroyed.  This is the story of one of them …

In a coastal town, a strange, out-of-print children’s book is found, full of colourful stories of castles, knights and unicorns.  But the book is no fairytale.  Written by Austerly Fellows, a mysterious turn-of-the-century occultist, it is no mere entertainment.  In fact, those who start it find that they just can’t put it down, no matter how much they may want to. 

You can order Dancing Jax by Robin Jarvis from Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder by Holly Jackson

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The Blurb On The Back:

The case is closed.

Five years ago, schoolgirl Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Singh. The police know he did it.  Everyone in town knows he did it.

But having grown up in the same small town that was consumed by the murder, Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn’t so sure.  When she chooses the case as the topic for her final-year project, she starts to uncover secrets that someone in town desperately wants to stay hidden.  And if the real killer is still out there, how far will they go to keep Pip from the truth? 

You can order A GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO MURDER by Holly Jackson from Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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Kingdom Of Souls by Rena Barron

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The Blurb On The Back:

Grandmother said I will be a powerful witch doctor one day.

But I cannot wait that long.

Arrah’s fate was foretold in the bones.

Descended from a long line of powerful witch doctors, she is desperate for a taste of magic.  No matter what the cost.

As strange premonitions and spirits descend upon the Kingdom, Arrah discovers she will do anything to save her people – even if it means sacrificing years of her own life.

Arrah must find a way to master this borrowed power.  But how much time does she have left? 

You can order Kingdom Of Souls by Rena Barron from Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli

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The Blurb On The Back:

Once there was a girl who was drawn to wicked things …

Asha is a dragon-slayer.  Reviled by the very people she’s sworn to protect, she kills to atone for the terrible deed she committed as a child.

One that almost destroyed her city, and left her with a terrible scar.

She wears her scar with pride, but to others, her skin tells a story of devastation, of fiery deaths, of Asha’s irredeemable wickedness.

Only the death of Kozu, the First Dragon, will bring Asha true redemption and unite her father’s fractured kingdom.  But no one battles Kozu and lives, so to defeat him she will have to do some very wicked things … 

You can order The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli from Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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The Dark Days Deceit by Alison Goodman

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Bath, December 1812.

Lady Helen Wrexhall is finalising the preparations for her wedding, but her focus is on the Dark Days Club.  Time is running out to find the vital answers needed to defeat their unknown foe, the Grand Deceiver.

Lady Helen and Lord Carlston are also struggling to control their new dyad bond, and their illicit feelings for one another. As Helen tries desperately to juggle the demands of her double life, an old enemy arrives in Bath, bringing death and deceit. 

You can order THE DARK DAYS DECEIT by Alison Goodman from Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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Under The Pendulum Sun by Jeanette Ng

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The Blurb On The Back:

Catherine Helstone’s missionary brother, Laon, has disappeared while bringing the Gospels to the Dark Continent – not Africa, but Arcadia, legendary land of the magical fae.

Desperate for news of him, she makes the perilous journey to that extraordinary land, but once there, she finds herself alone and isolated in the sinister house of Gethsemane.  At last there comes news: her beloved brother is riding to be reunited with her – but the Queen of the Fae and her insane court are hard on his heels.  

You can order UNDER THE PENDULUM SUN by Jeanette Ng from Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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The Court Of Broken Knives by Anna Smith Spark

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The Blurb On The Back:

Shadows.  Sorrow. Death.

Something’s coming.

We need to be read.

And yes.  That does mean blood.

We’re too weak.  The way we are.  Sitting on our piles of gold pretending nothing exists beyond our walls.

We’re too far gone for anything else. 

In the richest empire the world has ever known, the capital city of Sorlost stands eternal, or so it believes …

Decadence has become the true ruler, blinding its inhabitants to their decay.  The empire is weak and, haunted by dreams of its demise, Lord Orhan Emmereth has decided to act.

On his orders, a company of mercenaries will cross the desert to reach the city of Sorlost.  Once inside, they have one mission: assassinate the Emperor and all who serve him.

The mission is suicide but Marith is ready to die. He is running away from a shame and grief, which only the weight of a knife in his hand can banish.

Little does Marith know that his destiny awaits in the Golden City of Sorlost.  A destiny beautiful, bloody, and more terrible than anyone could have foreseen. 

You can order THE COURT OF BROKEN KNIVES by Anna Smith Spark from Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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The Ninth Rain by Jen Williams

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The Blurb On The Back:

The city of Ebora once glittered with gold. Now its streets are stalked by wolves. Tormalin the Oathless has no taste for waiting to die while the realm of his ancestors falls to pieces – talk about a guilt trip.

When eccentric explorer, Lady Vincenza ‘Vintage’ de Grazon, offers him employment, he sees a way out.  Even when they are joined by a fugitive witch with a tendency to set things on fire, the prospect of facing down monsters and retrieving artefacts is preferable to the abomination left behind.

But not everyone is willing to let the empire collapse, and the adventurers are soon drawn into a tangled conspiracy of magic and war.

The Jure’lia are coming, and the Ninth Rain must fall …  

You can order THE NINTH RAIN by Jen Williams from Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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Age Of Assassins by R J Barker

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The Blurb On The Back:

It’s a game of assassin versus assassin.

Girton Club-Foot, apprentice to the land’s best assassin, still has much to learn about the art of taking lives.  But his latest mission tasks Girton with a far more difficult challenge: to save a life.  Someone is trying to kill the heir to the throne, and it is up to Girton and his master to uncover the traitor.  In a kingdom on the brink of civil war and a castle thick with lies, Girton will find enemies he never expected, friends he never wanted and a conspiracy that could destroy an entire land.  

You can order AGE OF ASSASSINS by R J Barker from Amazon USA, Amazon UK, or Waterstone’s.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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In Bloom by C. J. Skuse

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The Blurb On The Back:

Rhiannon Lewis should be happy.

Her cheating fiancé is in jail – framed for the depraved killing spree she committed.

Her ex lover has been chopped up and is buried in the garden.

But there’s one small problem. She’s pregnant.

And much as Rhiannon wants to continue working her way through her kill lists, a small voice inside is trying to make her stop.

Now she has to choose between motherhood or murder.

You can order IN BLOOM by C. J. Skuse from Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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Sweet Pea by C. J. Skuse

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The Blurb On The Back:

Rhiannon Lewis might seem like the average girl next door, but she’s got a killer secret.

Although her childhood was haunted by a famous crime, Rhiannon’s celebrity has dwindled.  By day her job at a newspaper is demeaning and unsatisfying.  By evening she dutifully listens to her friend’s wedding plans whilst secretly making a list.

A kill list.

From the man at the supermarket who mishandles her apples, to the people who have got it coming, Rhiannon’s ready to get her revenge.

Because the girl everyone overlooks might be able to get away with murder …

You can order SWEET PEA by C. J. Skuse from Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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The Joneses & The Pirateers: Search For The Phantom Lady by S. L. Westgate

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Nine-year-old James and his sisters come from a family with a proud history of never having done anything exciting or adventurous, much to James’s annoyance.

He longs for adventure but gets more than he bargained for when a ruthless pirate captures his father.  James, Elizabeth and Emily find themselves stranded on the enchanted island of Tortuga – where the children of pirates live while their parents are off roaming the high seas.

The siblings must band together with a motley crew of orphan pirates-in-training to plan a dangerous rescue mission that takes them from shark-infested waters to explosive ocean battles to the brink of Davy Jones’s Locker … not to mention a sneaky search for the most legendary pirate treasure of all time.

You can order THE JONESES & THE PIRATEERS: SEARCH FOR THE PHANTOM LADY by S. L. Westgate from Amazon USA, Amazon UK, or Waterstone’s.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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Purple Hearts by Michael Grant

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Could women fight?

Stupid question.  Women don’t stop being women, and men don’t stop being men.  We become an entirely new creature: the combat soldier. And we are none of us, men or women, the people we started out as.

War is hell.

1944.  It feels like the war will never end.  Rio, Frangie and Rainy have all received accolades, been “heroes”, earned promotion. They’ve all done “enough” to allow them to leave this nightmare and go home.  But the war hasn’t finished with them yet …  

You can order PURPLE HEARTS by Michael Grant from Amazon USA, Amazon UK, or Waterstone’s.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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The Whitby Witches by Robin Jarvis

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”The most dreadful monster ever created came ashore at Whitby …”

When orphans Ben and Jennet arrive in their new seaside home, they soon discover that it is a very extraordinary place. And with mysterious creatures on the shore and a deadly beast prowling the streets, it becomes clear that Aunt Alice and her friends are also not quite what they seem.  

You can order THE WHITBY WITCHES by Robin Jarvis from Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Waterstone’s or Bookshop.org UK.  I earn commission on any purchases made through these links.

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