Marie Lu returns to our bookshelves with this masterful spy epic in which the spotlight and the shadows are entangled in a dangerous plot to save the world. From the blurb; 'A Superstar. 'A secret agent. 'A once-in-a-lifetime mission. 'Global phenomenon Winter Young is the pop star of a generation. With sell-out tours and smash-hit records, everyone wants him, or wants to be him. 'That's why a top-secret government organization thinks he'll make the perfect spy. 'His target is infamous business tycoon, and all-round bad guy, Eli Morrison. Because Morrison's daughter has just one birthday wish: a private concert with Winter Young. 'Winter must use his stardom to crack his target's inner circle and bring Morrison down. With him will be expert spy, and expert bad-ass, Sydney Cossette - and she's convinced Winter doesn't have what it takes. 'But as the stakes get higher and the tension ramps up, Sydney and Winter might find their best chance is each other...' This fast paced story is told through the switching perspectives of Winter and Sydney. Swinging the reader between a life under the spot-light and a life in the shadows. As we delve further into this page turner we also delve further into Sydney and Winter's pasts, swiftly learning that the same pain and suffering can result in two people on completely different trajectories. As to be expected with any fictional spy epic at some points the reader must let go of reality to accept the exciting things happening in the book. From the futuristic spy technology to the daring action sequences this novel will keep readers on their toes though does ask you to suspend reality to do so. As always Lu is able to create lovable characters with realistic emotions, backed by a well thought-out history and life. In Stars and Smoke we are gifted with a host of fantastic supporting characters, encouraging us to ask for a prequel, in particular, in regards to the senior agents Sydney shadows. As we tumble from the USA to London, United Kingdom, we are gifted with an insight into the worlds of the uber rich and glamours, dripping with wealth and luxury, as seen through the eyes of Winter and Sydney. This elusive life-style sparks some sense of desire in the reader, while we equally jump for joy to see it torn down. By it's conclusion Stars and Smoke remains a light-read. Full of excitement, passion and adventure that will make for excellent holiday reading for any star-crossed-lover story fan. However, following on from Marie Lu's most recent novel's Stars and Smoke does not quite hit the same notes as Warcross and Skyhunter. We look forward to seeing were Marie Lu takes us next. We Give Stars and Smoke Four Stars ISBN - 978-0-241-64653-3 Hardback Cover Price - £14.99 First published in the USA by Roaring Brook Press 2023

The Crown is the final conclusion to the stunning and brilliant Selection series that bought Kiera Cass into our world. This beautiful conclusion gives us the closure and joy we desire, and brings everything we could have wanted from a final in this captivating series. From the blurb; 'A Selection can only have one winner. 'A princess only has one heart. 'When Eadlyn became the first princess of Illea to hold her own Selection, she didn't think she would fall in love with any of her thirty-five suitors. But as events at the palace force her even further into the spotlight, Eadlyn realizes that she might not be content remaining alone. 'Eadlyn still ins't sure she'll find the fairy-tale ending her parents did twenty years ago. But sometimes the heart has a way of surprising you...' Breaking all the rules the daughter, and now the princess, of The Selections Royals, finds herself falling head-first into the very thing she thought she could never find. However, unlike her mother and father before her, Eadlyn's path to true love is very different, and comes with a greater risk of controversy. It is through love and support that Eadlyn is able to flourish into herself and we love to see it. As the future takes a new shape in this world we, as readers who have been following these characters for years, are thrilled to see their world take steps to become better and to watch as our characters, new and old, finally achieve everything they wanted to from the very beginning. We Give The Crown Four stars ISBN - 978-0-00-758024-8 Cover Price - £7.99 First published in the USA by HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. in 2016

If you're brave enough to dive back into Hollis's world after the shattering conclusion of The Betrothed you won't regret it. Kiera Cass brings us back from the brink with this stunning second novel, and reignites our faith in love. From the blurb; 'Can you follow your heart when it's already broken? 'After fleeing the court of Coroa and leaving the memory of her beloved, the assassinated Silas Eastoffe, behind, Hollis is unsteadily adjusting to life with his family. The Eastoffes' affection is a balm to Hollis's weary spirit, though Etan, a surly cousin with a deep distaste for Coroans, threatens to upset the uneasy peace that Hollis has found. 'While tensions at home are mounting, disquiet in the kingdom of Isolte is reaching fever pitch. The Eastoffes may have the power to unseat the tyrannical King Quinten, but only with Hollis's help. Can a girl who's lost it all put the fate of her adopted homeland over the secret longings of her heart?' Taken out of the Royal court and the luxuries that came with it, we get to see Hollis in a new light. In The Betrayed Hollis's power to love and bring light into the world is allowed to flourish. Put against the anguish of her grief, the struggles of getting used to a new country and the customs that come with it, and the hardship of living with Etan, Silas's much loved cousin who hates Coroans, Hollis is given the chance to grow and flourish in impossible circumstances. As the family move to prove their suspicions of who committed the great wrong done unto them and their's Hollis swiftly moves from being an awkward addition to their dynamics to an essential piece in their plans. As Hollis becomes more important to the family a budding romance begins to bloom between her and an unlikely romantic partner. While her heart is still in the hands of Silas, Hollis's concentration remains on fixing the wrongs that have ruined her life, and the lives of the people she has grown to love. With baited breath we pray for Hollis to see the love that has bloomed before her. Cass has an immense talent for love stories, and she brings all of that to the forefront with this spellbinding sequel. We Give The Betrayed Five Stars ISBN - 978-0-00-840322-5 Cover Price - £7.99 First published in the United States of America by HarperCollins Publishers 2021

A glamorous story set in the luxury of royal living, where young women fight for the interest of a young and handsome king. In a world that shines with opulence, can our characters look past the surface, and what will they find hidden under the layers of gold? Kiera Cass delights with another Royal love story in The Betrothed. From the blurb; 'A handsome young king... 'When King Jameson declares his love for Lady Hollis Brite, Hollis is shocked - and thrilled. 'A would-be Queen... 'She's grown up vying for the king's attention, hoping one day to become Queen of Coroa. 'A perfect match... 'The Hollis meets a stranger who seems to see right into her heart. 'Or is It? 'Suddenly, the future she wants is one she never dared to imagine.' This fast paced novel will leave readers breathless, as Cass sweeps us into a fantasy of riches, complicated by a bitter political struggle and complex relations between nations, we cannot help but be consumed with love for our main character Hollis. Through the appearance of a new family at court Hollis's slim world view is opened, and so is her heart. Cass builds anticipation and an underlying trepidation throughout this novel but keeps us delightfully distracted with a sweep you-off-your-feet romance. As Hollis fights between her desire for two very different futures, we are treated into a insight of what being a Queen would involve, and everything she is set the gain if she chases love. Cass set's us up for delight in the final acts of this novel and leaves us breathless with her final, explosive, plot twist. We Give The Betrothed Five Stars ISBN - 978-0-00-815882-8 Cover Price - £7.99 First published in the United States of America by HarperCollins Publishers in 2020

A beautiful, spellbinding tale, of two peoples divided. A Thousand Heartbeats shows off Kiera Cass's ability to write lengthy novels which keep the reader gripped from beginning to end, and leave us hoping she will write more books to this length in the future. From the blurb; 'Princess Annika has lived a life of comfort, but no amount of luxuries can change the fact that her life isn't her own to control. Soon she will be forced, by her father, into a loveless marriage, with a duke called Nickolas, for political gain. 'Meanwhile, miles away, small comforts are few and far between for Lennox, living with his banished clan, the Dahrainians. Lennox has devoted his whole life to helping his people try to take back the throne from Princess Annika's father. 'But then Annika and Lennox's worlds collide. And when love, against all odds, finds them both, they are bound by it's call. They can't possibly be together - the the irresistible thrum of a thousands heartbeats won't let them be apart.' Told though the joint perspectives of Lennox and Annika, with pov's exchanging each chapter, A Thousand Heatbeats is a new venture of Cass, and shows her writing prowess as it has never been seen before. Cass allows a love story, touched by fate, to unfold across these pages, capturing the hearts of her readers, while keeping us on the edge of our seats with the uncovering of secrets, grueling plot twists and intense scenes of action and exhilaration. Annika, far from the delicate princess, is a force of nature we can't help but fall in love with. Her passion and her strength are subdued notes in the beginning of the book, growing with her own confidence and providing us with the kick-ass princess character development arc we all desire in modern stories. Meanwhile Lennox run's an opposite arc. His strength makes him a fearsome character wrapped in armour. Cass tenderly unpeals the armour surrounding Lennox, allowing him to accept himself and grow into a well rounded man deserving of our admiration. As the past reveals all of it's secrets our characters are forced into a showdown with the present. Torn between their desires and their duty Lennox and Annika are forced into impossible situations that could tear both of their lives apart. We Give A Thousand Heartbeats Five Stars ISBN - 978-0-00-815885-9 Cover Price - £8.99 First Published in the United States of America by HarperCollinsPublishers in 2022

The final novel in the incredible All Souls Trilogy is a fast paced adventure, exploding across the pages and bringing this complex series to a passionate conclusion. From the blurb; 'Endings. Beginnings. Change. 'The world of witches, daemons and vampires is dangerously threatened. 'Diana and Matthew. Witch and vampire. Their love has brought conflict and hope. But only together can they learn at last what the witches discovered so many centuries ago. 'And it will have consequences for all...' Deborah Harkness has created a love story that becomes central to the political and evolutionary survival of an entire magical community. This intelligent blending of romance, science, history and political struggle has made the All Soul's trilogy unique and exciting throughout the three books and Harkness does not shy away from facing the implications of her characters decisions in this thrilling final novel. Drawing her extensive cast of characters together in this final book Harkness uses the power and brilliance of each of these characters to draw the many different arcs of this story together and to a satisfying close. All the while we remain enraptured by the bond and passion of Diana and Matthew's love story. Without which the story would not carry as brilliantly as it has across the three books. These novels will stay with the reader long after closing and have us looking for clues of the magical realm under the normality of reality as we go through our every day. We Give The Book Of Life Four Stars ISBN - 978-0-7553-8479-2 Cover Price - £7.99 eBook Available First published in Great Britain in 2014 by Headline Publishing Group

Book two in the All Souls Trilogy, Shadow of Night, jumps directly into the drama and throws us into the depths of Deborah Harkness's knowledge of history, introducing an exciting new depth of world, brilliant new characters, and of course, vibrant magic. From the blurb; 'In a world of witches, daemons and vampires the fragile balance of peace is unraveling. 'Diana and Matthew's forbidden love has broken the laws dividing creatures. 'To discover the manuscript which holds their hope for the future, they must now travel back to the past.' As the romance continues to grow in this thrilling love story, the magic and power that this world wields continues to be revealed, drawing us ever deeper into the majesty and political intrigue of this compelling series. At a faster pace than the first book, Shadow Of Night, draws us deep into the many layers of magic that this world offers, dancing us between the different personal and political story arcs within this complex cast and gifting us a spellbinding view into the past of our ancient characters as well as of the political realm which rules them in the present. Falling into her Historic expertise Harkness's talent and knowledge shines in this marvelous read, furthering the feeling of realism by bringing in a very vibrant rendering of the past and placing the characters she's built with care and strength into situations which not only grasp our full attention but further the story in a natural flow. We Give Shadow Of Night Five Stars ISBN - 978-0-7553-8475-4 Cover Price - £8.99 eBook Available First published in Great Britain in 2012 by Headline Publishing Group

Dive into the intelligent, vibrant, brilliance of the All Soul's Trilogy with this incredible first novel. Deborah Harkness brings to life a world filled with magic and wonder, so perfectly rendered and interlaced with fact, that it is easy to feel like you're reading non-fiction as you are swept away by this glorious novel. From the blurb; 'A world of witches, daemons and vampires. 'A manuscript which holds the secrets of their past and the key to their future. 'Diana and Matthew - the forbidden love at the heart of it.' Harkness knows how to craft characters. To build tension. To shape worlds. To interlace fact and fiction. To form romance and craft a love story so captivating we cannot put it down. In A Discovery Of Witches she puts all of this talent on display, and we can do nothing but strap in for the ride, as she carry's us into a world, a history and a magic that feels so realistic we can hardly believe it's fiction. Many will have only just discovered this fantastic series of books in recent years following the success of the brilliantly made TV series of the same name. While the TV series was very true to the novels nothing can beat the tension Harkness builds in her writing, or the awe she laces through her magic. At 688 pages, A Discovery Of Witches, is not a small book and with it's slow build beginning it is easy to be put off by this tome. However, Harkness swiftly switches from info dumb world building to character driven storytelling which sparks the magic of the novel and brings it fully into the realms of read-in-a-weekend binge worthy. We Give A Discovery Of Witches Five Stars ISBN - 978-0-7553-7404-5 Cover Price - £8.99 eBook Available First published in Great Britain in 2011 by Headline Publishing Group.

Allow yourself to swept away by the captivating writing and brilliant imagination of Lee Carroll through the myth and legend filed wonder that is Black Swan Rising. Form the blurb; 'Jeweller Garet James isn't the same as everyone else. She just doesn't know it yet. 'With her fair share of problems - money (lack of), and elderly father, a struggling business - Garet should be just like any other young, single New Yorker. If only it was that simple... 'It began with the old silver box that had been soldered shut. All Garet had to do was open it. A favour for the frail owner of the antiques shop. Who Wouldn't help? 'Only then things start to change. Garet doesn't notice at first, the shifts are barley perceptible. But the city is beginning to reveal a darker, long-hidden side. Figures, shadows, flit in and out of her vision. She finds herself drawn to the mysterious Will Hughes. He's a stranger and yet Garet feels she has known him for an eternity. 'And whatever escaped from the box has no intention of going back in...' A Pandora's box of a tale this novel sweeps us swiftly from the mundane of the real world and into the clawed clutches of fantasy. As we begin to learn of the vampires, faeries and other magical creatures which thrive behind the vale of our comprehension we are also running to keep pace with Garet, and the struggles which come her way fast and furious. While Black Swan Rising is slightly difficult to get into at the beginning it quickly finds it's footing and begin's to run at pace. Treating us to the broad imagination of Lee Carroll [a pseudonym for the writing partnership of writer Carol Goodman and poet Lee Slonimsky] while drawing us deeper into this complex world through well designed characters. We Give Black Swan Rising Three Stars ISBN - 978-0-553-82557-2 Cover Price - £7.99 eBook Available First published in the United States in 2010 by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC

The House Of Fortune is a wonderfully surprising return to the world of Jessie Burton's debut novel, The Miniaturist. Bringing us back to the characters who first introduced us to the whimsy and brilliance of Burton's writing style, around eighteen years on from where the Miniaturist closed, The House Of Fortune brings us a new age plagued with different issues and enticing secrets. From the blurb; 'In the golden city of Amsterdam, in 1705, Thea Brandt is turning eighteen, and she is ready to welcome adulthood with open arms. At the city's theater, Walter, the love of her life, awaits her, but at home in the house on the Herengracht, all is not well - her father Otto and Aunt Nella argue endlessly, and the Brandt family are selling their furniture in order to eat. On Thea's birthday, also the day that her mother Marin died, the secrets from the past begin to overwhelm the present. 'Nella is desperate to save the family and maintain appearances, to find Thea a husband who will guarantee her future, and when they receive an invitation to Amsterdam's most exclusive ball, she is overjoyed. Perhaps this will set their fortunes straight. 'And indeed, the ball does set things spinning: new figures enter their life, promising new futures. But their fates are still unclear, and when Nella feels a strange prickling sensation on the back of her neck she remembers the miniaturist who entered her life and toyed with her fortunes eighteen years ago. Perhaps, now, she has returned for her....' Read through the switching perspectives of Nella and Thea, The House Of Fortune, provides us with a narrator we already know, and one we are just meeting. This combination makes the book feel like a comforting return to a world we have visited before, scattered with newness that we have yet to experience. Burton has crafted her characters well, understanding the human nature of youth, love, and fear of what has been left behind against the need to survive the present, to bring to us a beautiful historic novel enriched with colour and passion. Thea, a new face to a returning cast, is a head strong character, leading the charge of the stories plot. While at times she is annoying in her youth, Thea remains a character we can understand. Through the lens of the past Burton brings into the question issues of the present world. Throwing a spot light on racism and the history of the white upper classes, while also questioning the accuracy of the of history that we have in relation to sex, class and marriage. This rendering of 1705 is as enticing and it is captivating, spelling the reader into the past, chasing the story through the warrens of Burton's complex narrative built on secrets, lies, and a touch of super natural mystery. As the tensions build throughout the book we remain grateful for this return to see what happened to our characters after the shocking close of The Miniaturist. A return that comes unexpectedly from Burton, but that we love to see, and thoroughly enjoyed reading. We give The House Of Fortune Five Stars. ISBN - 978-1509886081 Hardback Cover Price - £16.99 First published in 2022 by Picador an imprint of Pan MacMillan

Whatever you expect when picking up The Chemist, you won't be prepared for everything that Stephenie Meyer infuses this novel with, and you certainly won't be able to put it down. The Chemist is a book you'll be glad it took awhile to get round to reading. In 2016 the much anticipated novel received many the negative review from readers, however in 2023 The Chemist is a very different experience that will hit home with it's main threat. From the blurb; 'She used to work for the US government. An expert in her field, she was one of the darkest secrets of an agency so clandestine it doesn't even have a name. Then, one day, they came for her without warning. She's been running ever since. 'Now her former handler has offered her a way out: one last job in exchange for her freedom. But as she prepares for the toughest case of her life, she finds herself falling for the man she was sent to trap. Now she has a choice - return to the shadows, hunted and alone. Or stand and fight.' Our main character, paranoid genius on the run, changes names frequently though-out the beginning of the novel before settling down into the recognisable, though false, name of Alex. Alex is the kind of brilliant heroine more action thrillers need. She suspicious enough to convey a cunning intelligence to the reader that we can have faith in. She's brilliant in her field and knows how to wield her expert knowledge to her advantage against the muscle men sent after her. She isn't slick, or physically striking, in fact her social skills remain somewhat lacking throughout the novel, making her both likable from the readers perspective but also more believable as a person. Her awkward interactions with normal society add a comic relief to the otherwise hard hitting notes of the novel. Adding to Alex's brilliance Meyer's introduces two fantastic additional main characters to the plot. One provides Alex with the human interactions she otherwise lacks, while the other creates the opportunity for a new perspective, and for a new path in the story, that heightens the action and intensifies the risks. Meyer pulls one plot twist after another in this brilliant read, keeping us on our toes through the entire plot, as she puts her characters through one life threatening situation after another, only to conclude with the perfect ending. A gift to the readers that rounds off the fast paced novel with a brilliant nod towards a brighter, though still strained, future for characters we've quickly fallen in love with. For this novel Meyers researched with experts from Arizona State University, Phoenix Police Department, USAF JAG Corps and many other fields. The time and effort put in results in a well thought out novel with a brilliant running plot, a diverse range of characters, and fantastic edge of your seat action. While, like all action stories, we are asked on occasion to put aside our disbelief so that our characters may continue to live on into the next chapter, these leaps from reality are not so jarring as to force us out of the novel, but provide the slightly unrealistic thrill that we seek from action novels and films. We could not put The Chemist down once it started running, and hope that Meyer's will return to the genre some time in the future. We give The Chemist Five Stars ISBN - 978-0-7515-7004-5 Cover Price - £8.99 eBook Available First Published in Great Britain in 2016 by Sphere

The third and final installment into the Dreamer Trilogy, and Maggie Stiefvater's last novel in the realm of YA for the foreseeable future, is an explosive conclusion to what has been a captivating, spellbinding, series. From the blurb; 'This world was not made for a family with the power to break it. Can they save each other? 'This is the story of the Lynch family. 'Niall and Mor escaped their homeland but lost themselves. 'Declan was the responsible one - but he cannot keep his family safe. 'Ronan lived on the edge between dreams and waking, but the edge is gone and he is falling. 'Matthew was the happy child, but now rebellion beckons. 'Can the dreams be stopped? Should the dreams be stopped?' Book two of the Dreamer Trilogy, Mister Impossible, left our characters in what seemed to be an impossible situation, so buckle in because Greywaren kicks off directly into all the action left behind from the devastating conclusion of the previous book and does not give you a chance to catch your breath as our cast of characters race to save the world and each other. For lovers of the Raven Cycle series from which the Dreamer Trilogy was born Greywaren offers us glimpses of that beloved history and the characters who lived through those original four novels. Making Greywaren not only the perfect conclusion of the Lynch brothers arc but also a bittersweet end for the characters that came before. Stiefvater holds nothing back with this eye-opening, fast paced, story. She delights in throwing us plot twists which pull at the heart swings and startle the reader. All while continuing to grow and transform the magic of this series which we all fell in love with from the very first moment Ronan Lynch came to life on the pages of The Raven Boys. Once you're in to Greywaren it's impossible to get out. Through perfectly placed chapter switches between characters Stiefvater compacts a vast and complex story into an easy read novel that can be consumed in a matter of days. Her brilliant imagery draws the reader out of reality and into the crisp world of Greywaren, cheering, screaming and crying for each of the characters. Despite it's vast cast of voices Greywaren leaves no character behind, giving us just enough of each one to experience their view of the situation, their growth and struggle, and their passion. Leaving us wanting to know more of them and yet delighted with how the book concludes for them all. We give Greywaren Four Stars ISBN - 978-0-702323-73-7 Cover Price - £8.99 eBook Available First published in the US. by Scholastic Inc, 2022