WWW Wednesday | The Twenty-Third

Happy Wednesday Friends,

I’ve been quiet on my blog this week, just trying to finish the first draft of Eléonore. My aim is to be done by this Sunday.

For now, here’s my contribution to the weekly WWW Wednesday meme hosted by the wonderful Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

Want to participate, just answer these three questions:

1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you’ll read next?

Shall we begin? 🙂

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WHAT I AM CURRENTLY READING

A Wizard’s Forge (The Woern Saga #1) by A.M. Justice

Blurb:

Scholar. Slave. Warrior. Wizard.

On a planet far from Earth, descendants of marooned space travelers fight a decades-long war. Shy scholar Victoria knows nothing of this conflict until pirates kidnap and sell her to the sadistic tyrant behind it. He keeps her naked and locked in a tower, subjecting her to months of psychological torture. After seizing an opportunity to escape, Vic joins the fight against her former captor and begins walking a bloody path toward revenge.

As the Blade, Vic gains glory raiding her enemy’s forces, but the ordeal in his tower haunts her. Bitter memories keep her from returning the love of the kindhearted Prince Ashel, whose family has fended off the tyrant’s invading army for a generation. When enemy soldiers capture Ashel, Vic embarks on a quest to rescue him and, on the journey, discovers a source of spectacular power. With wizardry, Vic can rescue the prince, end the war, and wreak the vengeance she craves, but she might also destroy her only chance for peace.

I forgot that I had been approved for this one on NetGalley! I got an email two days ago announcing its release date. That shows where my head’s at right now ;P

I only just started last night and I have some reservations. The structure of the first chapter was a little wonky, but the second chapter grabbed my attention a bit more. We’ll see where it goes from there.

WHAT I RECENTLY FINISHED READING

Sabriel (Abhorsen #1) by Garth Nix

Blurb:

Sabriel is the daughter of the Mage Abhorsen. Ever since she was a tiny child, she has lived outside the Wall of the Old Kingdom–far away from the uncontrolled power of Free Magic, and away from the Dead who won’t stay dead.

But now, her father is missing and Sabriel is called upon to cross into the world to find him, Leaving the safety of the school she has known as home, Sabriel embarks upon a quest fraught with supernatural dangers, with companions she is unsure of–for nothing is as it seems within the boundary of the Old Kingdom. There, she confronts an evil that threatens much more than her life, and comes face to face with her hidden destiny.

I really enjoyed this one. A great fantasy. A fierce protagonist. Amazing world building and premise. It was a solid read. My only peeve was that there wasn’t enough development of character relations. In the fast pace of the plot, some of the quieter moments that could have helped that were lost. But still a great read!

Reaper Man (Discworld #11) by Terry Pratchett

Blurb:

In the eleventh Discworld novel, Death is missing – presumed . . . er . . . gone.

Which leads to the kind of chaos you always get when an important public service is withdrawn.
Meanwhile, on a little farm far, far away, a tall dark stranger is turning out to be really good with a scythe. There’s a harvest to be gathered in.

I missed these novels more than I realized! Reaper Man has quickly become my favourite in the series. Death as a main character can’t go wrong! The writing was sharp, and the humour really served the plot and not vice versa. The side plot with the wizards and the undead was equally entertaining. Terry Pratchett was a master at blending fantasy and comedy and layering it over what is, at its core, a human story. I know I’ve said it before, but again: you should really read his work!

…AND…

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children #1) by Ransom Riggs

Blurb:

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of curious photographs.

A horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

I wanted to enjoy this book. The premise was such an excellent set-up for a creepy tale and atmospheric read. But the narrative failed to deliver. The voice did not match the tone. The potential was there. The elements were ripe for the developing, but there were a lot of missed opportunities. The last hundred pages picked it up a bit and revealed a bit more of what the story could have been. The ending is strong enough to convince me to read the next book (I’ve heard the series improves with each installment). The strongest element of the book was definitely the photos. They were the promise of a creepier atmosphere than the words delivered.

I’m curious to see what Burton does with the source material in the film and I really am excited to see Eva Green as Miss Peregrine (reading the book, I could just imagine her in the role and I’m pretty sure it’s near perfect casting)!

WHAT I KNOW I’LL BE READING NEXT

Actually, I’m not sure what I’ll read after A Wizard’s Forge. I finished my September TBR which means I can play around with a few options.

These are some of my top choices to finish the month (I’m sticking with my first in the series theme…):

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas

OR

The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1) by Maggie Stiefvater

OR

Alanna: The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness #1) by Tamora Pierce

OR

A Wizard of Earthsea (Earthsea Cycle #1) by Ursula LeGuin

If you’ve read any of these, or are planning to, which would you recommend I go with?

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Well, that’s all from me today, friends! Please share your weekly reading habits or WWW link! Let the love of books and reading spread like wildfire!

May inspiration flow link ink upon your quill,

Faith