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Review: The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials #1) by Philip Pullman
After reading Up To This Pointe earlier this month, I was dying to read something else set in the ‘north’ or in the ‘cold’. The Golden Compass has been on my TBR shelf forever and now seemed like the perfect time to read it since it features the Northern Lights and the north pole as well as a host of other things! Lyra Belacqua has been raised at Oxford’s, Jordan College, most of her young life. It is here that two very important people come to visit. the first is her uncle, Lord Asriel, who is an explorer and who has just returned from the north with some dangerous findings. Lord Asriel…
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Review: Changing Nature (The Immortal Descendants #3) by April White
The Immortal Descendants has been one of my most favorite new series over the last year or so. I absolutely love the world that the author has created. Each book moves the story forward and the world and the premise of the story, characters, and plot are all unique but yet work so well together. In this third book, we find ‘Clocker’ Saira and Archer enjoying a summer of romance when suddenly Immortals start being kidnapped. The ‘Mongers’ will do anything to gain power and control over the other descendant families, especially after they target a powerful shifter. Saira and Archers (along with the rest of her crew) must travel back in…
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Review: Tempting Fate (The Immortal Descendants #2) by April White
Since discovering her power as a ‘clocker’, or an Immortal Descendant, life for Saira Elian hasn’t gotten much easier. Being a clocker means Saira can transport herself through time at will. She is currently living at St. Brigid’s school where she is learning about her power as well as the powers of the other Descendants. For the first time in her life she is stable: she has friends, her mother, excelling in school, and her super attractive boyfriend, Archer who happens to be Death’s Descendant–better known as a Sucker, or vampire. But she is struggling with what it means to rely on others and to truly open her heart to her friends…
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Review: Engn by Simon Kewin
Finn has been raised to fear the notorious Ironclads and their city, Engn. The Ironclads are sent out to the surrounding villages to recruit children to work in the city. When the Ironclads come, there is no choice but to send the children to Engn even though few return to their homes, parents are required to let the Ironclads take what they want. When Finn was younger, his sister was taken to Engn which was supposed to mean that Finn was safe as the Ironclads can only take one child per family. But when the Ironclads come for him, this changes everything. With Finn on his way to Engn and…
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Guest Post: Engn by Simon Kewin
In addition to reviewing the MG/YA book Engn by Simon Kewin, he also agreed to write a guest post about how he created the world and city of Engn. Without further ado please welcome Simon Kewin to The Lit Bitch! Building Engn The world of Engn grew out of a simple, central idea: a city-sized, steam-powered machine that generations of people have lived and worked within. I was drawn to the idea on lots of levels. I liked the thought of all the odd contraptions and mysteries and weirdness I could build into such a vast and ancient machine. In the book, Engn has grown so huge that most…
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Review: Marking Time (The Immortal Descendants #1) by April White
Seventeen year old Saira Elian’s life is a lonely one. Her mom tends to disappear randomly for weeks at a time and when she returns they often pack up and move to a new location. She hasn’t met her father nor does she really know anything about him and she basically has never known anyone she could call a friend. Saira spends her free time tagging the underground around Venice Beach until one night she over hears a conversation she shouldn’t. The next thing she knows she is being chased by a group of men when the police pick her up and arrest her. With her mother gone again she…
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Review: Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #3) by Cassandra Clare
The Infernal Devices are without pity. The Infernal Devices are without regret. The Infernal Devices are without number The Infernal Devices will never stop coming. Tessa Grey is preparing for what should be the most joyous day of her life…..her wedding to Jem. Tessa loves Jem without question but there is still part of her that loves Will. Though she tries to shut out her feelings for Will, it is hard to section off a part of your soul that only one other person can touch but somehow Tessa does it. All the Shadowhunters at the London Institute are preparing for the wedding to take place when Gabriel Lightwood shows…
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Review: Timeless (Parasol Protectorate #5) by Gail Carriger
Agent Blue Bonnet here with a transmittal from the Parasol Protectorate secret society: Timeless by Gail Carriger is finally out! I discovered this series last year while I was participating in the Steampunk Reading Challenge over at Bookish Ardour. I absolutely loved Soulless (Book #1) and it has been an interesting series to watch evolve overall. Timeless is Book #5 in the series–which seems to be the last installment I am sad to say. The first four books take place in rapid secession but this book is set two years after Book #4. Alexia Tarabotti AKA Lady Maccon, is settling into her new life–as best she can considering she is married…
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Review: Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra Clare
Lies. Betrayal. Danger. Deception. Anger. Adventure. Passion. Love. All of which await eager readers in Cassandra Clare’s latest installment of The Infernal Devices, Clockwork Prince. Clare flawlessly blends action, sci-fi/fantasy, YA, pararomance, and steampunk together magically. While romance is a huge part of this latest book, it does not over power the adventure. For me, other YA sagas such as Twilight, the love story overpowered the action and adventure, especially in the second book making it less enjoyable but in this series….there was a delicate balance which made it exceptionally hard to put down! In the midst of all the YA romance there is a richly satisfying mystery and adventure.…
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Review: The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
What would you do if you had a face that could literally stop time? Or if you could really clone yourself? How about meet and greet your fav literary character? In the world of SpecOps and LiteraTec (Literary Detective division) extrodinaire, Thursday Next, all of these things are possible. My sister recommended the book, The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde, to me a few weeks back…and now that she wants to commandeer the book from me, I figured I better get a move on since she will be wanting it by Christmas no doubt. This speculative fiction book is a hodge-podge mixture of sci-fi, fantasy, time travel, YA, mystery/detective novel,…