Reading Round-Up: March/April 2020

It's spring, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and I've got a fresh batch of bookish updates to share with you once again! So, whether you're looking for your next favourite book or simply interested in the literary happenings from my world, grab yourself a cup of tea and sit down to find out everything I've been reading, acquiring, and wishing for during March and April 2020!

Book Review: The Magician's Workshop Volume One by Christopher Hansen and J.R. Fehr

Last Updated: 16 October 2021

AD* | Everyone in the islands of O’Ceea has a magical ability: whatever they imagine can be brought into existence. Whoever becomes a master over these powers is awarded the title of magician and given fame, power, riches, and glory. Journey with a group of kids as they strive to rise to the top and become members of the Magician’s Workshop.

Layauna desperately wants to create beautiful things with her magical powers, but all she can seem to do is make horrible savage monsters. For years she has tried to hide her creations, but when her power is at last discovered by a great magician, she realizes that what she’s tried to hide might actually be of tremendous value.

Kai just wants to use his powers to have fun and play with his friends. Unfortunately, nearly everyone on his island sees him as a bad influence, so he’s forced to meet them in secret. When one of the creatures they create gets out of control and starts flinging fireballs at their town, Kai is tempted to believe that he is as nefarious as people say. However, his prospects change when two mysterious visitors arrive, praising his ability and making extraordinary promises about his future.

Follow the adventures of Kai, Layauna, and a boatload of other characters as they struggle to grow up well in this fantastical world.

Book Review: The Napoleonic Wars by Richard Holmes

Last Updated: 14 October 2021

AD* | Written by one of Britain’s best known and most respected military historians, this is the essential account of the Napoleonic campaigns.

This is popular history at its most engrossing, providing a vivid introduction to Napoleon's astonishing career and his effect on world history. A charismatic and astute military leader, Napoleon built an empire in a series of astounding campaigns from 1796 to 1812, winning many of the most famous battles of all time. At the height of his powers, most of Europe was under his control, from Portugal to Moscow. Bestselling author Richard Holmes brings the era's great battles to life while he recounts in detail how Napoleon transformed France’s administrative, educational, and legal systems, and forged a pattern that shapes modern governments to this day.

Book Review: Dreaming of Florence by T.A. Williams

Last Updated: 14 October 2021

AD* | Fresh pasta, red wine, fine art… and love? Find enchantment this year in the magical city of Florence.

When Debbie Waterson’s bicycle crashes into handsome doctor Pierluigi, she wonders if her luck has changed. Determinedly single after ending a long relationship, at last, a man worth bumping into!

Inspired to visit Florence, she soon runs headlong into that old foe: reality. But is Pierluigi the man of her dreams? Then there’s her booze obsessed boss, his forbidding secretary and her noisy inconsiderate neighbours. But could her luck be about to change? Will she find love after all?

Book Review: Summer at Conwenna Cove by Darcie Boleyn

Last Updated: 14 October 2021

AD* | In a gorgeous Cornish village, two brokenhearted people fall head over heels. But can the magic of Conwenna Cove heal the hurts of the past?

Eve has a glittering career, a loving husband and a future. But a terrible twist of fate means she loses it all, and with nowhere left to turn she flees to her Aunt Mary’s home in Cornwall. The last thing on her mind is romance – until she meets Jack.

Jack has seen the worst things people can do to each other and realised he is better off alone. He settles in Conwenna Cove and saves his affections for the rescue dogs he cares for. But when Eve arrives in the village he can’t deny his attraction to her.

Eve and Jack are both scared to trust, but when they come together it’s impossible for either to ignore their feelings. Can they put their fears aside and learn to love again?

Book Review: Darkdawn by Jay Kristoff

Last Updated: 14 October 2021

A ruthless young assassin's journey for revenge comes to a stunning end in the conclusion of this acclaimed epic fantasy trilogy.

The Republic of Itreya is in chaos. Mia Corvere has assassinated Cardinal Duomo and rumours of Consul Scaeva’s death ripple through the street of Godsgrave like wildfire. But buried beneath those same streets, deep in the ancient city’s bones, lies a secret that will change the Republic forever.

Mia and her brother Jonnen must journey through the depths of the ancient metropolis. Their quest will take them through the Godsgrave Underdark, across the Sea of Swords, back to the library of the Quiet Mountain and the poisoned blades of Mia’s old mentors, and at last the fabled Crown of the Moon. There, Mia will, at last, discover the origins of the darkin, and learn the destiny that lies in store for her and her world. But with the three suns now in descent, and Truedark on the horizon, will she survive?