Even though it is the shortest month I feel like February has been never-ending. I managed a decent reading month by reading six books. 

As much as I love reading and reviewing arcs I am a little disappointed that I was not able to read any other books. I am still desperate to read A Curse So Dark and Lonely and I want to make it my mission to read something other than arcs next month. 

However, with that being said I am very grateful that I get the opportunity to review arcs and I’ve read some great ones this month. Now onto my February wrap-up. 

Everything That Burns (Enchanteé #2) by Gita Trelease

Read: 31/01/21 – 02/02/21

Honestly, I expected so much more from this book. I really enjoyed the first one and thought it was so magical, this one not so much. If I’m being even more honest I don’t even remember finishing this, this month. It feels like so long ago that I read it and apparently I can’t remember much as I’m struggling to write this right now. 

Looking back I think I was very generous with my rating as I was genuinely bored when trying to finish this. That sounds very savage but it’s true. 

I did write a full review so if you are interested in what I had to say about it at the time check it out here. 

Goodreads synopsis: “Camille Durbonne gambled everything she had to keep herself and her sister safe. But as the people of Paris starve and mobs riot, safety may no longer be possible…

…Not when Camille lives for the rebellion. In the pamphlets she prints, she tells the stories of girls living at society’s margins. But as her writings captivate the public, she begins to suspect a dark magic she can’t control lies at the heart of her success. Then Louis XVI declares magic a crime and all magicians traitors to France. As bonfires incinerate enchanted books and special police prowl the city, the time for magic—and those who work it—is running out.

In this new Paris where allegiances shift and violence erupts, the answers Camille seeks set her on a perilous path, one that may cost her the boy she loves—even her life. If she can discover who she truly is before vengeful forces unmask her, she may still win this deadly game of revolution.”

Bad Habits by Flynn Meaney

Read: 05/02/21 – 06/02/21     

This was a very average read that I didn’t hate or love. It was very much meh.

My main issue with this book was the main character. For someone who claims to be a feminist she only cared about her own agenda and didn’t listen to the people who were trying to help her. I do believe if she wasn’t this way I would have enjoyed Bad Habits a lot more. 

Read my full review of Bad Habits here. 

Goodreads synopsis: “Alex is a rebel from the tip of her purple fauxhawk to the toes of her biker boots. She’s tried everything she can think of to get expelled from her strict Catholic boarding school. Nothing has worked so far – but now, Alex has a new plan.

Tired of the sexism she sees in every corner of St Mary’s, Alex decides to stage the school’s first-ever production of The Vagina Monologues. Which is going to be a challenge, as no one else at St Mary’s can even bear to say the word ‘vagina’ out loud . . .”

Isoldesse (Aevo Compendium #1) by Kimberly Grymes 

Read: 08/02/21 – 16/02/21     

This book was very much a turning point for me this month. I was really struggling with reading at this point and although it still took me a while to get through I did quite enjoy it. I do think that a 4-star rating may have been a little high, however, I didn’t have any real issues with the book. 

I’m looking forward to the next instalment and I am hoping that it builds more on the first. 

Read my full review of Isoldesse here. 

Goodreads synopsis: “Kenna and Meegan are college students dealing with upcoming finals, needy parents, boy drama, and what to do with their lives after they graduate in a few weeks. What they weren’t expecting was for Kenna to receive a powerful stone necklace that ultimately changes their plans for a relaxing summer.

Strange things begin to happen to Kenna, like being the only one who can see and talk to the mysterious old woman with a golden aura. Or how in her dreams, a man with vibrant orange eyes keeps appearing who may or may not be real. Though, not all of Kenna’s mysterious encounters are pleasant as she’s haunted by massive beings carrying long swords and wearing armour covered in black scales.

Besides solving the mystery of where the stone necklace came from, Kenna, Meegan, and their friends are taken to another world for a routine evolutionary assessment. The assessment gets sabotaged and causes more chaos for Kenna and her friends, especially for Meegan who is forced to open up and reveal her true identity and the magic she hides.

There’s one name that Kenna, Meegan, the Sendarians, and the monsters who’ve been hunting Meegan and her family for over a century all have in common…

ISOLDESSE”

The Short Knife by Elen Caldecott

Read: 16/02/21 – 19/02/21 

The Short Knife was a great read that built up tension throughout. It depicts an area of history that is not often written about, and the plot was really interesting. I really liked the main character and thought that she was really well developed despite her young age. 

I’m not sure if this will be a series, despite the books unresolved ending. I do hope that it will be as I think it has the potential to be really great. 

Read my full review of The Short Knife here. 

Goodreads synopsis: “It is the year 454AD. The Roman Empire has withdrawn from Britain, throwing it into the chaos of the Dark Ages. Mai has been kept safe by her father and her sister, Haf. But when Saxon warriors arrive at their farm, the family is forced to flee to the hills where British warlords lie in wait. Can Mai survive in a dangerous world where speaking her mother tongue might be deadly, and where even the people she loves the most can’t be trusted?”

The Dog Share by Fiona Gibson

Read: 15/02/21 – 19/02/21

Honestly, I don’t want to talk about this book any more than I already have. It’s probably very clear from the low rating that I did not enjoy this and if you want to see why read my full review here. 

Goodreads synopsis: “Suzy Medley is having a bad day…

… when a shabby terrier turns up at her door. Just like Suzy, Scout has been abandoned, although only Suzy has been left with a financial mess and a business in tatters thanks to her ex.

Suzy takes Scout in and her chaotic world changes in unexpected ways: strangers have never been more welcoming and her teenage kids can’t wait to come home to visit.

Then a chance encounter on a windy Hebridean beach makes things more complicated, because Suzy isn’t the only one who needs a friend.

Scout has plenty of love to go round… but does Suzy?”

A Trial of Sorcerers (A Trial of Sorcerers #1) by Elise Kova

Read: 20/02/21 – 25/02/21   

Elise Kova has been my saving grace this month. After the absolute shambles that was The Dog Share, I was so glad I had an arc of this. Although the dates don’t suggest it, I actually devoured this book as it was too good to put down. 

The plot as always with Elise Kova books was completely captivating and I am now greatly anticipating the next release in the series. 

Eira was a fantastic main character and I’m excited to see if she will let her icy powers overtake her emotions and make her a dark character.

Read my full review of A Trial of Sorcerers here. 

Goodreads synopsis: “Ice is in her blood.

Eighteen-year-old Waterrunner Eira Landan lives her life in the shadows — the shadow of her older brother, of her magic’s whispers, and of the person she accidentally killed. She’s the most unwanted apprentice in the Tower of Sorcerers until the day she decides to step out and compete for a spot in the Tournament of Five Kingdoms.

Pitted against the best sorcerers in the Empire, Eira fights to be one of four champions. Excelling in the trials has its rewards. She’s invited to the royal court with the “Prince of the Tower,” discovers her rare talent for forbidden magic, and at midnight, Eira meets with a handsome elfin ambassador.

But, Eira soon learns, no reward is without risk. As she comes into the spotlight, so too do the skeletons of a past she hadn’t even realized was haunting her.

Eira went into the trials ready for a fight. Ready to win. She wasn’t ready for what it would cost her. No one expected the candidates might not make it out with their lives.”

Let me know what your favourite read of the month was!

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Like this post? Why not read this one too? Book Review: A Trial of Sorcerers by Elise Kova