Monthly Wrap-Up: October 2021

October has been my best reading month for quite some time. I managed to finish an incredible six books which might not seem a lot to some of you, but it’s a real achievement for me at the moment.

Unfortunately half of the books I read were festive titles, which you will be able to read about in a few weeks, but I won’t be talking about them today. I am still powering through my Christmas arcs and will get to share some of them with you soon(ish).

Little Thieves (Little Thieves #1) by Margaret Owen

Read: 25/09/21 – 08/10/21

*I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

I really enjoyed Little Thieves and its complex world and magic. It did have its moments where I found myself thinking ‘how is this still going’ but those generally passed quite quickly and I found myself absorbed in the story again.

As I posted a full review of this earlier this month I won’t say much here. Check out my review here.

Goodreads synopsis: “Once upon a time, there was a horrible girl…

Vanja Schmidt knows that no gift is freely given, not even a mother’s love–and she’s on the hook for one hell of a debt. Vanja, the adopted goddaughter of Death and Fortune, was Princess Gisele’s dutiful servant up until a year ago. That was when Vanja’s otherworldly mothers demanded a terrible price for their care, and Vanja decided to steal her future back… by stealing Gisele’s life for herself.

The real Gisele is left a penniless nobody while Vanja uses an enchanted string of pearls to take her place. Now, Vanja leads a lonely but lucrative double life as princess and jewel thief, charming nobility while emptying their coffers to fund her great escape. Then, one heist away from freedom, Vanja crosses the wrong god and is cursed to an untimely end: turning into jewels, stone by stone, for her greed.

Vanja has just two weeks to figure out how to break her curse and make her getaway. And with a feral guardian half-god, Gisele’s sinister fiancé, and an overeager junior detective on Vanja’s tail, she’ll have to pull the biggest grift yet to save her own life.”

The Deathless Girls by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Read: 19/10/21 – 27/10/21

I’m not sure what I was expecting from this book but it wasn’t what I got. I enjoyed it for the most part, but why did it take so long to really get started? Not much happened before the last few chapters and honestly, they were the most exciting parts of the book.

Now, this next bit is a spoiler so if you haven’t read The Deathless Girls yet skip ahead to the next book in this wrap-up.

Why did we not get an entire book of Lil and Kizzy being vampyres? That would have been ten times better and more interesting. I loved the end chapters where you read about them forming their little group and terrorizing people and I wish that was what the whole book had been about. That would have been so much more entertaining and would have made for the ‘thrilling’ read that I was promised.

I was very disappointed with this book, if it wasn’t such a quick read I potentially would have DNF’d it.

Goodreads synopsis: “They say the thirst of blood is like a madness – they must sate it. Even with their own kin.

On the eve of her divining, the day she’ll discover her fate, seventeen-year-old Lil and her twin sister Kizzy are captured and enslaved by the cruel Boyar Valcar, taken far away from their beloved traveller community.

Forced to work in the harsh and unwelcoming castle kitchens, Lil is comforted when she meets Mira, a fellow slave who she feels drawn to in a way she doesn’t understand. But she also learns about the Dragon, a mysterious and terrifying figure of myth and legend who takes girls as gifts.

They may not have had their divining day, but the girls will still discover their fate…”

Season of the Witch (The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #1) by Sarah Rees Brenan

Read: 27/10/21 – 29/10/21

This was such a fun and quick read. I am obsessed with The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina so I knew I would love this. It did seem to be aimed at a younger audience as the writing style seemed quite juvenile, but I like to think this is because of Sabrina’s young age and therefore juvenile tendencies.

I actually had no idea that this was a full-on series, so now I am obviously going to buy the rest of them.

If you are interested in this book but haven’t watched the show then I would really recommend watching it first. It isn’t a necessity but it will make a lot of things more clear and you will also love the little insight into the characters before you meet them on screen.

Goodreads synopsis: “It’s the summer before her sixteenth birthday, and Sabrina Spellman knows her world is about to change. She’s always studied magic and spells with her aunts, Hilda and Zelda. But she’s also lived a normal mortal life – attending Baxter High, hanging out with her friends Susie and Roz, and going to the movies with her boyfriend, Harvey Kinkle.

Now time is running out on her every day, normal world, and leaving behind Roz and Susie and Harvey is a lot harder than she thought it would be. Especially because Sabrina isn’t sure how Harvey feels about her. Her cousin Ambrose suggests performing a spell to discover Harvey’s true feelings. But when a mysterious wood spirit interferes, the spell backfires in a big way.

Sabrina has always been attracted to the power of being a witch. But now she can’t help wondering if that power is leading her down the wrong path. Will she choose to forsake the path of light and follow the path of night?”