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Rosie | Little Bird Book Blog7 Comments

Circe by Madeline Miller

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication Date: 01/04/2019
Length: 333 pages
Genre: Greek Mythology | Fantasy | Historical Fiction

CW: n/a

Blackwells.co.uk

In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe has neither the look nor the voice of divinity, and is scorned and rejected by her kin. Increasingly isolated, she turns to mortals for companionship, leading her to discover a power forbidden to the gods: witchcraft.

When love drives Circe to cast a dark spell, wrathful Zeus banishes her to the remote island of Aiaia. There she learns to harness her occult craft, drawing strength from nature. But she will not always be alone; many are destined to pass through Circe’s place of exile, entwining their fates with hers. The messenger god, Hermes. The craftsman, Daedalus. A ship bearing a golden fleece. And wily Odysseus, on his epic voyage home.

There is danger for a solitary woman in this world, and Circe’s independence draws the wrath of men and gods alike. To protect what she holds dear, Circe must decide whether she belongs with the deities she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love. 

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The Warlow Experiment by Alix Nathan

Publisher: Serpent’s Tail
Publication Date: 02/04/2020
Length: 304 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction | Gothic

CW: n/a

Blackwells.co.uk

The year is 1793 and Herbert Powyss is set on making his name as a scientist. Determined to study the effects of prolonged solitude on another human being, he advertises for someone willing to live in his cellar for seven years in return for a generous financial reward. The only man to apply is John Warlow, a semi-literate farm labourer with a wife and six children to support. Cut off from nature, Warlow soon begins losing his grip on sanity while, above ground, Powyss rapidly becomes obsessed with Warlow’s wife, Hannah.

The experiment, a classic Enlightenment exercise gone more than a little mad, will have unforeseen consequences for all included. In this seductive tale of self-delusion and obsession, Alix Nathan has created an utterly transporting historical novel which is both elegant and unforgettably sinister.

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Rosie | Little Bird Book Blog3 Comments

Descendant of the Crane by Joan He

Publisher: Titan Books
Publication Date: 16/06/2019
Length: 400 pages
Genre: Fantasy | Young Adult

CW: n/a

Blackwells.co.uk

Tyrants cut out hearts. Rulers sacrifice their own.

Princess Hesina of Yan has always been eager to shirk the responsibilities of the crown, but when her beloved father is murdered, she’s thrust into power, suddenly the queen of an unstable kingdom. Determined to find her father’s killer, Hesina does something desperate: she engages the aid of a soothsayer—a treasonous act, punishable by death… because in Yan, magic was outlawed centuries ago.

Using the information illicitly provided by the sooth, and uncertain if she can trust even her family, Hesina turns to Akira—a brilliant investigator who’s also a convicted criminal with secrets of his own. With the future of her kingdom at stake, can Hesina find justice for her father? Or will the cost be too high?

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Rosie | Little Bird Book Blog1 Comment

Go by Kazuki Kaneshiro

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Publisher: AmazonCrossing
Publication Date: 01/03/2018
Length: 167 pages
Genre: Translated Fiction | Japanese Fiction | Young Adult

CW: n/a

Blackwells.co.uk

For two teens, falling in love is going to make a world of difference in this beautifully translated, bold, and endearing novel about love, loss, and the pain of racial discrimination.

As a Korean student in a Japanese high school, Sugihara has had to defend himself against all kinds of bullies. But nothing could have prepared him for the heartache he feels when he falls hopelessly in love with a Japanese girl named Sakurai. Immersed in their shared love for classical music and foreign movies, the two gradually grow closer and closer.

One night, after being hit by personal tragedy, Sugihara reveals to Sakurai that he is not Japanese—as his name might indicate.

Torn between a chance at self-discovery that he’s ready to seize and the prejudices of others that he can’t control, Sugihara must decide who he wants to be and where he wants to go next. Will Sakurai be able to confront her own bias and accompany him on his journey?

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Rosie | Little Bird Book Blog4 Comments

The Existence of Amy by Lana Grace Riva

Firstly, I just want to say a huge thank you to Lana Grace Riva for reaching out and providing me a copy of this book for an honest review.

Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: 02/08/2019
Length: 247 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

CW: n/a

Blackwells.co.uk

Amy has a normal life. That is, if you were to go by a definition of ‘no immediate obvious indicators of peculiarity’, and you didn’t know her very well. She has good friends, a good job, a nice enough home. This normality, however, is precariously plastered on top of a different life. A life that is Amy’s real life. The only one her brain will let her lead. 

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Rosie | Little Bird Book Blog1 Comment

Hope Island by Tim Major

Publisher: Titan Books
Publication Date: 08/06/2020
Length: 400 pages
Genre: Sci-Fi | Horror

CW: n/a

Blackwells.co.uk

Workaholic TV news producer Nina Scaife is determined to fight for her daughter, Laurie, after her partner Rob walks out on her. She takes Laurie to visit Rob’s parents on the beautiful but remote Hope Island, to prove to her that they are still a family. But Rob’s parents are wary of Nina, and the islanders are acting strangely. And as Nina struggles to reconnect with Laurie, the silent island children begin to lure her daughter away.Meanwhile, Nina tries to resist the scoop as she is drawn to a local artists’ commune, the recently unearthed archaeological site on their land, and the dead body on the beach… 

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