Serafina and the black cloak - Robert Beatty

Blurb-

Venture into the spooky world of Serafina and the Black Cloak - the New York Times bestselling magical mystery adventure for children

"Never go into the forest, for there are many dangers there, and they will ensnare your soul.”

Serafina and her pa have secretly lived in the basement of the grand old house on the Biltmore Estate, surrounded by dark forests, for as long as Serafina can remember. She takes the greatest of care never to be seen. 

But when children at Biltmore start disappearing, only Serafina knows who the culprit is: a terrifying man in a black cloak who stalks the corridors at night. To solve the mystery, Serafina teams up with Braden Vanderbilt, the nephew of the estate’s owners. Their search for answers leads them into the very forest Serafina has always been taught to fear. There, they discover a legacy of magic, long forgotten - until now . . .

Genre- YA, Children's, Fantasy

My rating - 5 stars

My review-

A beautiful book. Well written, easy to read and very enjoyable for both adult and child reader. I will defiantly be reading this book with my eight year old daughter. 

Scary in places, exiting in others, as soon as you get into Serafina's story you just have to know more. Hints help you along the way guess some of the ending of the story. 

A book I would defiantly recommend.

Date read - 13th February 2016 

Magician (The Riftwar saga #1-2) Raymond E. Feist

Blurb-

He held the fate of two worlds in his hands... Once he was an orphan called Pug, apprenticed to a sorcerer of the enchanted land of Midkemia.. Then he was captured and enslaved by the Tsurani, a strange, warlike race of invaders from another world.

There, in the exotic Empire of Kelewan, he earned a new name-- "Milamber." He learned to tame the unnimagined powers that lay withing him. And he took his place in an ancient struggle against an evil Enemy older than time itself.

Genre - Fantasy

Rating - 4 stars

My review - 

Almost comparable to Lord of the rings but not quite.

Feist has done a fantastic job of creating the two worlds of Midkemia and Kelewelen and the invading battle between them. There is just so much going on that some promising storylines never reached full potential.

Based mainly on the characters- 
Pug: magicians apprentice and in my opinion star of the book. 
Thomas: Princes squire, meets dragon never to be the same again (one of the storylines that could have been so much more, or infact never highlighted past Pugs childhood friend and it wouldn't have impacted on the story.
Arutha: Prince, traveler and protector.

I loved the idea of dwarfs and elves but they could have been so much more epic. The rest of the story is basically a coming of age of Pug as he grows into a man of great power whilst his world is at war. 

Read from January 07 to 12, 2016

Wildalone - Krassi Zourkova

Blurb: 

In this darkly imaginative debut novel full of myth, magic, romance, and mystery, a Princeton freshman is drawn into a love triangle with two enigmatic brothers, and discovers terrifying secrets about her family and herself—a bewitching blend of Twilight, The Secret History, Jane Eyre, and A Discovery of Witches.

Arriving at Princeton for her freshman year, Thea Slavin finds herself alone, a stranger in a strange land. Away from her family and her Eastern European homeland for the first time, she struggles to adapt to unfamiliar American ways and the challenges of college life—including an enigmatic young man whose brooding good looks and murky past intrigue her. Drawn to the elusive Rhys and his equally handsome and mysterious brother, Jake, she ventures into a sensual mythic underworld as irresistible as it is dangerous.

In this shadow world that seems to mimic Greek mythology and the Bulgarian legends of the samodivi or “wildalones”—forest witches who beguile and entrap men—Thea will discover a family secret bound to transform her forever . . . if she can accept that dead doesn't always mean gone, and love doesn't always distinguish between the two.

My rating : 5 stars

Genre: fantasy

My thoughts: 

Omg! I want more.... Please tell me there will be a book 2.

This book captured me from the blurb, it is riveting, fast paced, mystical, mythical and blooming fantastic. This book was not predictable at all, I actually thought I had it sussed half way through but I was totally wrong. The characters were great, even the stock characters like Rita and Dev had their own story. The fantasy elements had a perfect blend with reality. Only problem is that I want more! 

I really can't believe this is Krassi Zourkova's first book. Brilliant!

(Krassi also confirmed to me that there will be a book 2)

Read : 30th December 2014 - 8th January 2015