The Diabolic (The Diabolic #1) by S.J. Kincaid
Nemesis is a Diabolic, a humanoid teenager created to protect a galactic senator's daughter, Sidonia. The two have grown up side by side, but are in no way sisters. Nemesis is expected to give her life for Sidonia, and she would do so gladly. She would also take as many lives as necessary to keep Sidonia safe.
When the power-mad Emperor learns Sidonia's father is participating in a rebellion, he summons Sidonia to the Galactic court. She is to serve as a hostage. Now, there is only one way for Nemesis to protect Sidonia; she must become her.
As the Empire begins to fracture and rebellion looms, Nemesis learns there is something more to her than just a deadly force. She finds a humanity truer than what she encounters from most humans. Amidst all the danger, action and intrigue, her humanity just might be the thing that saves her life - and the empire (from Amazon).
Must admit, I've never read anything by S.J. Kincaid and based on the initial summary I read of this book, I wasn't really sold. It sounded okay to me, kind of samey, and it was a standalone. I'm always a little cautious with standalone novels, as I typically get too invested in the world and am then left with unanswered questions, longing or disappointment. But Amazon were selling it for £4 at the time (a hardback no less) so how could I resist?
It's now been expanded into a trilogy, as clearly the author came to the same conclusion that the world she was trying to build wouldn't fit into just one book if she was going to do it justice. So the next book, The Empress, is coming out in the UK at the end of October.
The Bone Season series by Samantha Shannon
Enter the world of Paige Mahoney, a gifted clairvoyant in the year 2059. Her natural talents are considered treasonous under the current regime of Scion. Snatched away to a secret prison, she encounters another race, the Rephaim, creatures who wish to control the powers of Paige and those like her. One in particular will be assigned as her keeper, her trainer. But his motives are mysterious. To regain her freedom, Paige must learn to trust, in the prison where she is meant to die (The Bone Season book 1, from Amazon).
So for any of you who haven't read this books, you need to. It's as simple as that. Initially I started reading the first book, The Bone Season, with the intention of doing a book club with my fellow blogger friend as at the time it was the Booksplosion Book of the Month (it's a youtube monthly book club thing, check it out). That never happened, obviously. But I finished it, and I loved it, and get very sad I couldn't immediately read the next book cause I had chosen not to buy it in case I didn't like the first one. Stupid Rachel; always buy the next book. I don't know how I would have coped if I had read the first book all the way back in 2013.
The books follow Paige, and it's got a kind of part-V for Vendetta part-X-Men vibe, and it's pretty cool. If you like science fiction and facing off against totalitarian governments with a little bit of magic-esque abilities read this.
Three of the seven (yes, seven; that's how much detail and story is in these books) books have currently been released and the story only gets better and the world grows with each one. Book 4, presently untitled, is expected sometime in 2018 and I am very much looking forward to it.
Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1) by Leigh Bardugo
Criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker has been offered wealth beyond his wildest dreams. But to claim it, he'll have to pull off a seemingly impossible heist:
- Break into the notorious Ice Court (a military stronghold that has never been breached).
- Retrieve a hostage (who could unleash magical havoc on the world).
- Survive long enough to collect his reward (and spend it).
Kaz needs a crew desperate enough to take on this suicide mission and dangerous enough to get the job done - and he knows exactly who: six of the deadliest outcasts the city has to offer. Together, they just might be unstoppable - if they don't kill each other first.
I have been saying I will read this book since it was released. That was two years ago. To be honest I don't really know what's been keeping me from it; I bought it, with every intention of reading it, but I suppose there were so many other books. Plus I hadn't read Bardugo's previous series, The Grisha, which is set in the same world so that stopped me from reading in case of spoilers.
Now I have read The Grisha books (and they are pretty good, I definitely enjoyed the world and a part of my heart is now owned by Nikolai Lantsov). I may do a review of The Grisha series at a later date. But now it's at the point of ridiculous because even The Crooked Kingdom, the final book of the duology is out, and I also own that.
So yeah, need to read this, finally. Because it sounds so good; a heist set in a world of magic, come on. That's my aim for this month; finish things book if nothing else.
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