Michelle Paver

Trigger warnings: Death of parents, near-death experiences, starvation, blood depiction, emesis, body shaming
Note that I got this book for free and now I own it.

7/10, not long ago I picked this up since one of the two libraries I go to was giving away books for free and I got three, this is one of them and another one is part of the same series as this, that being said I did enjoy this and I can't wait to read the next few books in the series though I do have to read the previous books to get more context. Where do I begin? It starts with the main character Torak whose last name I don't even know and he is on a journey of some sort but because this isn't the first book I don't know where that began however on a side note there were several aspects I did enjoy while reading this. One, the characters like Renn alongside some others were likable and I didn't find myself annoyed for the most part except for that one time when Torak made a less-than-great decision like going off all alone. What's the point of that? I don't know. I found this book stand out in a good way because of the writing style, some words were substituted in for others and that made for an intriguing read like moons instead of months and summers instead of years but that made sense when I put it in context; the world building was fascinating as well but it left me one question which is the fact that I don't know what a Soul Eater is yet. I think it's critical to this book and maybe if I read more of the series it would eventually clear up, the book ended on a cliffhanger, fortunately, I do have the next book so I'm not too taken aback.… (more)

Trigger warnings: Death of a father, near-death experiences
Note that I got this book for free and now I own it.

7/10, not long after I read the previous book before this called Soul Eater I decided to read this since this was a library giveaway and I headed in with high expectations considering I've enjoyed the instalment published before this and again I enjoyed this just as much as the last and that just might convince me to read the entire series. Where do I begin? It starts or rather continues with the main character Torak and now Renn is becoming a more critical part of the book, I still like some of the aspects this book shares with the last and I felt the author just built upon that and made this slightly more enjoyable. For starters this is a much more impactful story not to mention more action-packed and I liked the inclusion of multiple POVs that I saw in the last book, not all books can execute this device well; this was one of them. The characters are just as likable as ever and that being said the plot had a satisfying ending which I gladly sighed relief to, Torak now has the mark of the Soul Eater and so the other clan members outcast him by sentencing him to death and erasing his presence and now he is all alone but only for a brief moment. Renn and Wolf were still there from last time and they helped him on his journey which ended with a battle with the Viper Mage and even a change in the clan law letting Torak return to his clan. Great.… (more)

I completely forgot that I borrowed this novel - four years ago! - until I found the title in my Kindle library. Overall, I won't say that I enjoyed the story, but I was certainly captivated and loved the author's writing. Maud is a strong protagonist, befitting the name (my great grandmother's), and the historical and geographical research helped to ground, no pun intended, the fantastical plot. The Suffolk fens make a beautiful and wild natural setting and the connection between the Stearne family at Wake's End and the marshes that surround them made the house into a character, like Manderley. I would love to learn more about that area. Also, bonus points to the author for including the magpie, or chatterpie, that she rescued in real life, even if he did meet a sad end - corvids are incredible birds!

An unearthly combination of The Secret Garden and Where The Crawdads Sing, in my opinion, with a dash of Lady Chatterley's Lover thrown in (sorry Maud!), Wakenhyrst is a powerful read full of strong imagery and unlikeable yet sympathetic characters. Fewer chapters full of the father's religious waffling would have suited me better, but I'm glad I finally got around to reading this one!… (more)