ARC Review: Time's Convert by Deborah Harkness

Title: Time's Convert
Author: Deborah Harkness
Genre: Adult Paranormal
Publisher: Headline Books
Published: September 25th 2018
Page Number: 480
Rating: 1/5

Summary:

On the battlefields of the American Revolution, Matthew de Clermont meets Marcus MacNeil, a young surgeon from Massachusetts, during a moment of political awakening when it seems that the world is on the brink of a brighter future. When Matthew offers him a chance at immortality and a new life, free from the restraints of his puritanical upbringing, Marcus seizes the opportunity to become a vampire. But his transformation is not an easy one and the ancient traditions and responsibilities of the de Clermont family clash with Marcus's deeply-held beliefs in liberty, equality, and brotherhood.

Fast forward to contemporary London, where Marcus has fallen for Phoebe Taylor, a young employee at Sotheby's. She decides to become a vampire, too, and though the process at first seems uncomplicated, the couple discovers that the challenges facing a human who wishes to be a vampire are no less formidable in the modern world than they were in the 18th century. The shadows that Marcus believed he'd escaped centuries ago may return to haunt them both - for ever.

REVIEW

 

Time's Convert was my most anticipated book of 2018. I was very lucky to receive one of very limited Advanced Reader Copies of the book and as soon as the proof came I dove straight in. The All Souls Trilogy told the story of Diana and Matthew on their quest to solving the mystery behind Ashmole 782. Time's Convert follows Matthew's son, Marcus and his girlfriend Phoebe while they go through their journey to be together.

 

Initially I really enjoyed the first few chapters I read. I loved being back into a world I knew and loved so much and seeing scenes with Diana and Matthew made my heart warm. However, I started to realise that what I thought would have been a story was starting to lag and feel like a diary entry. The story is told in 3 ways; Marcus' story of his childhood and how he got into the army and fought in the war. We then have Marcus' current story while being away from Phoebe and then lastly we have Phoebe's story while she goes through her transition. With this in mind I kept reading on in hopes Deborah would create a plot twist that would change the story but nothing ever came. It continued on the diary format, living each day as they came doing very basic things that Mundanes would do despite them being Vampires.

 

The one big thing that knocked me for six was the writing. The All Souls trilogy was filled with beautifully descriptive writings that captured the scenes and characters so well but everything in Time's Convert felt very simple. According to someone I spoke to on the book, Deborah said in an interview that the writing would be different because Marcus is 24 years old. However, that made zero sense to me because while Marcus was 24 years old when he was changed, he's actually over 200 years old so that doesn't really count as an excuse to the writing being lazy.

 

With the writing being lazy and choppy I decided to eventually DNF the book at page 207. I truly tried to conquer my way through the novel but I just couldn't force myself to do it. I was starting to dislike our main characters and I truly do not care for the storyline. I actually find it difficult how Deborah can carve a trilogy out of this because Time's Convert just purely feels like an after thought. As for now I'm happy to leave the All Souls series where it is. At the moment 2 episodes of the TV series have aired and I'm not liking the adaptation that much either. So maybe once the full series has aired I'll write a series review and give my full thoughts because I have a lot.

 

 

Thank you Headline for sending me an exclusive ARC to honestly review.

 

 

 

Buy the book (Wordery) | Buy the book (Book Depository) 

Books with Multiple POV's | Top 5 Wednesday

Top 5 Wednesday was created by GingerReadsLainey

 

 

 

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

 

This book is actually very uniquely and confusedly told. We mainly follow our Heroine's POV, Cassie, however, the book is split up into different parts, so each part would sometimes start with a different POV. It definitely added depth into this world.

 

 

Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhon Vivian

 

This story follows 3 separate girls whose lives intertwine as they all go out for revenge on the people who's hurt them the most. It's brilliant and vividly done.

 

 

Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrios

 

A unique fantasy story about Jinni's. The story is a little confusing as we follow our main Heroine's POV, the POV of the Jinni who is after her, her masters and the guy who's come there for help. It's gorgeous written though.

 

 

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

 

This is mainly told in Diana's POV, but we do get some of the story from her possessive, Vampire husband Matthew. A gorgeous tale with magic and history weaved through each page.

 

 

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

 

This story follows 3 people. We get to know Lincoln through his story, but we get to know Jen and Beth through their hilarious emails. It's a wonderful story that reads like a movie.

 

 

 

 

What books have you read with multiple POV's?

Let me know in the comments.

I Still Haven't Read...

 

Hello everyone,
Welcome to my third post of this meme. My friend Kayleigh over at K-Books created this amazing Meme that I think will have a positive effect on my TBR pile. (I have a post coming soon that could help you all with that.)

Here is this week's pick...

 

 

 

The Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead

 

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger. . . .
Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

 

 

 

Have you read this series?

Let me know in the comments

 

 

 

Meme created by K-Books



Top 10 Books I Want To Re-Read

This week I've decided to take part in Top 10 Tuesday, however, I won't be doing a post every week. My Top 10 Tuesday posts may be twice a month or just when a topic comes around that I like, especially since I take part in Top 5 Wednesday as well. Top 10 Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This weeks topic is Top 10 Books you want to Re-read and mine was very easy because I have a list of books I plan to re-read. So...lets get on with it!

 

The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare - Lady Midnight comes out next year, so I want to re-read both series so that they're both fresh in my mind. I probably won't read The Bane Chronicles because it comes out this month.

Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman - I read this this year, but due to a reading slump I couldn't enjoy it as much as I could've. I loved the first half - an easy 5 stars - but the second half didn't satisfy my slump.

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness - I always read this trilogy every year and will do until I get old and can't read anything.

The Host by Stephenie Meyer - I love this book so much, but we'll never know if the sequel is coming, so this is my best bet on satisfying my craving.

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell - I read this in December last year, so it seems fitting to re-read it soon.

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover - I was in a reading slump while reading this book and I never got out of it what others did, so when I re-read it I hope to see what it was all about.

The Dark Heroine by Abigail Gibbs - I read this book about two years ago and I need to re-read it so I can move onto the sequel.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - Both times of reading this book gave me different rating. When I first picked it up I gave it 5 stars, but the second time I read it I only rated it four stars. Hopefully a third time will show me what I really think of the book.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins - Need I say more? Paris, cute boys and Paris.

That's the end of todays Top 10 Tuesday. What books do you want/need to re-read?

ARC Review: The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness

Title: The Book of Life
Author: Deborah Harkness
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Headline
Published: July 15th 2014
Page Number: 592

Summary:

 

After traveling through time in Shadow of Night, the second book in Deborah Harkness’s enchanting series, historian and witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist Matthew Clairmont return to the present to face new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home at Sept-Tours, they reunite with the cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency. In the trilogy’s final volume, Harkness deepens her themes of power and passion, family and caring, past deeds and their present consequences. In ancestral homes and university laboratories, using ancient knowledge and modern science, from the hills of the Auvergne to the palaces of Venice and beyond, the couple at last learn what the witches discovered so many centuries ago.

 

I met Deborah:

 

The lovely, Caitlin from Headline Publicity was nice enough to invite me to attend the Publication event for The Book of Life. It was on the 4th July. I had such a great time at the even. I fangirled with other bloggers about the book and we all got a bit tipsy (Some didn't.) Then we had a Q&A with Deborah where she answered some great questions and to end the night there was a raffle with some awesome prizes. Everyone that attended took home a Glamour gift bag and a signed copy of The Book of Life.

 

 

 

 

Review:

 

I must say this is going to be one of the hardest reviews to write, because this is the conclusion to the trilogy. However, there will be spoilers in the spoilers section.

 

Now if anyone knows me, A Discovery of Witches, which is the first book in this trilogy is one of my all time favourite books. This is one of my all time favourite series. It's addictive. However, this one wasn't my favourite of all three books. And that's why my star rating is undecided because I can't decide between a 4 Stars or a 5 Stars.

 

Like always, I loved most things about this book. The characters are some of my favourite and there was also some characters who appeared and shocked me. It gave me nostalgia feelings, like I was meeting them all over again. Which I kind of was, only they were older. Diana and Mathew are so perfect for each other, but I wanted a bit more Marcus and Phoebe in this book. We got a little, but not enough.

 

As a conclusion, I thought it was done very well. Not every trilogy can end as good as this one. Look at The Hunger Games, that ending was a hot mess. However, Deborah really gave the readers what they wanted and I feel like I can place it away and feel happy with it. But I still want something more from this series. It can't end just yet. I'd like some novellas or something in other characters POV's. Talking about POV's those were very annoying in this book. It constantly changed and I got confused who I was actually reading from until a two of three pages of their POV starting.

 

Another thing I didn't like about this book was the action. Some of the fighting scenes were great and kept my attention. Not all of them did. Especially the last action scene. I kind of got bored with it and felt like Deborah killed specific people off, just because.....

 

However, I still loved it.

 

 

 



 

March 2014 Wrap Up!

So if none of you are familiar with the monthly wrap ups then basically they're just where I blog/vlog about the books I read in that month and what I thought of them. I'll also be doing follow up blog/vlog called a TBR! which is where I show the books I plan to read for the month next.

So in the month of March I really struggled. I've been plagued with coursework and preparing for university has been hard! But I also fell through a reading slump and my eye has been playing up :(

The first book I read this month was 'My Life Next Door' by Huntley Fitzpatrick which I have done a review of. I really enjoyed this book and thought it was a very cute and adorable contemporary read. Huntley's writing style is kind of confusing at times, but her characters and emotion are so great that you can hardly notice it. If none of you know what My Life Next Door is about, it focuses on the female protagonist, Samantha who has been watching over her next door neighbours for years, but what's different about the one night is that Jase Garrett actually comes and talks to her. It then follows them and their crazy, yet different lifestyles; she's rich and alone, while he's hard working and his family are going through a rough time. Overall, I gave this book a 4/5 Stars!





After reading this book I literally fell into the worst reading slump ever! I tried everything. I tried to re-read a favourite and it didn't work. I watch a book to movie adaptation, it didn't work. Nothing worked..........

Until I picked up Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. Ahh! This book is perfect. If any of you have me on Goodreads, you'll know I hated Beautiful Creatures rating it a poorly 2.5 Stars, however, I absolutely loved this book. It carries on from the first book and for some reason Lena has decided to distant herself from Ethan. He's angry and before he knows it she's off on some guys motorbike. But she's not the only one to find a new friend because Marian has a new assistant research called Liv. Ethan does develop feeling for her! And then they vanish. The book ends with Link becoming part Incubus and Lena claiming herself to be both dark and light. Anyway, this book was so fast paced and full of action. I couldn't put it down. Although I must say the last thirty pages before the ending was quite slow paced. But it didn't ruin the experience. 4.5 Stars!

The third book I picked up was Beautiful Chaos also by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. And sadly I hated this book. It became slow paced and dragged out. The storyline didn't really fit the second book all that much either. Lena and Ethan are back together, Link is a complete ass and John and Liv fall for each other. #Confused Yes, I used a hashtag in my review. Overall, I gave this a 2.5 Stars!

I also read the #2.5 novella called Dream Dark which is in Links POV. Now I used to love Link in books 1 and 2, but in book 3 he became so vain. Dream Dark kind of explained why he acted like that and I really enjoyed it! I still believe their new series should be on John and Liv. 4 Stars!




The fourth book I picked up was Broken Silence by Natasha Preston. Natasha Preston is actually a friend of mine from Wattpad and she's an incredible author with her book 'The Cellar' just being released by Sourcebooks. I really would recommend that book as well! Anyway, Broken Silence takes place four years after Silence and Oakley is still living in Australia, but has decided to come back for the trial. However, she's not prepared for Cole to still be madly in love with her. This book is perfect! Absolutely perfect if you're looking for a great contemporary duology. The writing was easy to follow, the characters were full of emotion and gave me heart flutters and the ending made it all the worth while. I gave it a 4 Stars!





I then decided to review The Vintage Girl by Hester Browne, which was sent to me by Quercus. Sadly I couldn't even finish this book because I hated it that much. The writing for weak, the storyline was confusing. 2 Stars!

 

 

I also picked up Her Vampire Husband by Michelle Hauf. I've read this book before and I just love it. It's a guilty pleasure. I'm not a lover of Vampires, I hate Werewolves even more, but this one is so good. It focuses on lies and rivalry, but also showing that two complete opposites can fall for each other. If you're not sure what this book is about, it's about a couple who are forced to marry. Blu is a Werewolf and Creed is a Vampire. Blu has been attacked for years and doesn't trust him at first but over time they bond a friendship and then more......I cannot fault this book. It's incredible and somewhat steamy. Also 4 Stars!

The last book I read was Wicked Games by Jessica Clare. The premise really intrigued me. It's about a couple who are brought together by a TV reality show. But there are secrets. She's writing a book about the behind scenes of the show and he's an Olympic swimmer. This book was okay, the writing wasn't too bad, but the premise had promise. The ending was super cute, but the six months later was poor. I wanted more from it. I gave this one 3 Stars!

 

 

Book Review: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

       
         Book Name: A Discovery of Witches
         Author: Deborah Harkness
         UK Release Date: Been out since 2011
         UK Publishers: Headline
         Summary:
   
It begins with absence and desire.
             It begins with blood and fear.
                It begins with a discovery of witches.

A world of witches, Daemons and Vampires.
A manuscript which holds the secrets of their past and the key to their future.
Diana and Mathew - The forbidden love at the heart of it.

 

Praise for Deborah Harkness

'A vast, sexy, historical romp of a novel. There's no doubting Harkness' vivd imagination.' Daily Mirror

'This might just be a Twilight for the tweedy set.' Entertainment Weekly.

Review

I absolutely love this book. It's the book that got me into reading. And it's also the book that I cannot stop reading. In fact I've read the book twenty times now and still I enjoy the plot, characters and the twists. Deborah's writing style certainly isn't anything special, but for me I was hooked. It was my addiction. My 'Crack Cocaine' as words said by my friend Lainey. Sure people have had problems with this book because of the whole 'Twilight' comparison, but there's a massive difference. Well, two differences. One, it's written more maturely and also edited better. Second, it's an adult fantasy book. Not a YA.

For me this book is my all time favourite and the third and final book in the series is my top most anticipated read for this year. It ends. My journey with the characters end this year, and I am no way near ready. To be honest, I don't think I ever will be.

Now I know that Vampires aren't my thing, but this book was and I want to tell you my journey of reading this book. I know it's boring, but just read!

I bought the book in 2011. I paid £3.85 for it in Tesco and when I got home threw it into my draws and forgot about it until a month later. That day I decided to try and read it and I was hooked. The first chapter was hard to get into, but I grew to like it. The characters were interesting and it was my first every witch/vampire book. Anyway, I had read a lot of it and because I really wanted to finish the book I decided to fake that I was 'ill' so I could stay home and read it. Did my mother believe me? Yes. I act, so acting ill was easy for me. And I stayed in bed all day with a cup of tea and read the book. All the twists making me change positions on my bed; lying on my stomach, on my side, sitting straight up. It was never ending and when I finished the book I was disappointed that I had nothing more of it. I wanted more, and so I re-read the book two days later. And then re-read it again a week later.

So, yes. This is my all time favourite book. 5/5 stars!

Top 5 Most anticipated Books of 2014

So excited for these five books. There are more, but on my Booktube channel I am apart of a group called Top 5 Wednesday and I thought I'd add some of the weeks to my blog. Like I said. These are the five books I want now, but sadly, have to wait. These books will also either be a stand alone book/ start to a new series. Sequels or the last book in a series/trilogy.


5. Half Bad (Half Life Trilogy #1) by Sally Green

Summary:

In modern-day England, witches live alongside humans: White witches, who are good; Black witches, who are evil; and fifteen-year-old Nathan, who is both. Nathan’s father is the world’s most powerful and cruel Black witch, and his mother is dead. He is hunted from all sides. Trapped in a cage, beaten and handcuffed, Nathan must escape before his sixteenth birthday, at which point he will receive three gifts from his father and come into his own as a witch—or else he will die. But how can Nathan find his father when his every action is tracked, when there is no one safe to trust—not even family, not even the girl he loves?

Expected publication: March 4th 2014 by Viking Juvenile


4. The Infinite Sea (The Fifth Wave Trilogy #2) by Rick Yancey

Summary:

How do you rid the Earth of seven billion humans? Rid the humans of their humanity.

Surviving the first four waves was nearly impossible. Now Cassie Sullivan finds herself in a new world, a world in which the fundamental trust that binds us together is gone. As the 5th Wave rolls across the landscape, Cassie, Ben, and Ringer are forced to confront the Others’ ultimate goal: the extermination of the human race.

Cassie and her friends haven’t seen the depths to which the Others will sink, nor have the Others seen the heights to which humanity will rise, in the ultimate battle between life and death, hope and despair, love and hate.

Expected publication: September 16th 2014 by Putnam Juvenile


3. Shattered (Slated Trilogy #3) by Teri Terry

Summary:

Yet to be released.

Expected publication: March 6th 2014 by Orchard Books


2. City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments #6) by Cassandra Clare

Summary:

ΕRCHOMAI, SEBASTIAN HAD SAID.

I am coming.

Darkness returns to the Shadowhunter world. As their society falls apart around them, Clary, Jace, Simon and their friends must band together to fight the greatest evil the Nephilim have ever faced: Clary’s own brother. Nothing in the world can defeat him — must they journey to another world to find the chance? Lives will be lost, love sacrificed, and the whole world changed in the sixth and last instalment of the Mortal Instruments series!

Expected publication: May 27th 2014 by Margaret K. McElderry


1. The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy #3) by Deborah Harkness

Summary:

After traveling through time in Shadow of Night, the second book in Deborah Harkness’s enchant­ing series, historian and witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist Matthew Clairmont return to the present to face new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home at Sept-Tours, they re­unite with the cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its miss­ing pages takes on even more urgency. In the tril­ogy’s final volume, Harkness deepens her themes of power and passion, family and caring, past deeds and their present consequences. In ancestral homes and university laboratories, using ancient knowl­edge and modern science, from the hills of the Auvergne to the palaces of Venice and beyond, the couple at last learn what the witches discovered so many centuries ago.
Expected publication: July 15th 2014 by Viking Adult