The Wicked Deep

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

200 years ago, in Sparrow Oregon, three girls were accused of being witches and drowned in the harbour. Since then a deadly curse has befallen the city. Each summer the ghosts of these three girls, the swan sisters, return to Sparrow inhabiting the bodies of three innocent local girls. No male can resist the song of the sea and before the summer is over Sparrow's death bell will have tolled three times...

First of all, this book blew me away. It was a complete cover buy – I have to admit that much (after all I did get myself the special edition ;D) – but the story seemed interesting and I had heard only good things about this book. Naturally I went in with some high expectations, especially since my last few YA reads were all pretty good.
I am far from being disappointed.

Shea Ernshaw creates a wonderful atmosphere with her writing. I felt transported to the shores of my many north sea vacations and I could almost taste the salty waters of coming storms. She picked the perfect setting for an earie and darker plot. I am not a huge fan of the first person narrative, but this book, as it did with so many other tropes, blew me away with the perfect use of it and prosa that seemed more than poetic to me. I have always been a huge fan of the sea and I spend many days wandering on lonely sand beaches or on boats rocked by the tide, so it was important that she captured that feeling without overdoing it, otherwise it might have put me off completely. The author did succeed.

The book began, at least for me, with a quite intriguing story, but the usual YA characters. I thought I had it all figured out, but since the plot continued to be interesting and I was so captivated by the writing I continued to read a pretty good book. But as soon as the plot really took off... It turned into a truly awesome book. There was so much that I did NOT expect and that completely blew me away! (if you read this book you will know that there is one small sentence that changes everything and that left me SCREAMING at the page) It turned a pretty safe YA read into something entirely new and I was left with a lot of guesses but no real clue on how all of this would end. Even worse, I was not sure how I wanted all of it to end! No outcome I could imagine seemed satisfying enough, there was no good ending nor bad ending that could come out of this plot. There was only grey and a huge fear for the characters I had come to love throughout the story. I was hooked, until the last page.

Yes, this book has all the well used YA tropes like beautiful supernatural characters, a main character like a wallflower with that one thing that makes her special and of course the brooding male that swipes her into this one gaze - one true love - thing we all do not like. But it's YA, I did not expect anything else. Yet though The Wicked Deep starts off as a YA novel, just like you would except it, with a nice catch and a dark and twisted fairytale, it ended up being so much more. It has all a solid four stars needs, but that little extra bit, those twist and turns that are something you do not expect at all and that leave you at the edge of your seat... Combined with the great atmosphere of the writing that is what turns the book into one of my favourites this year, if not off all time.

So I am left here, waiting for news on another book by Shea Ernshaw, preferbly another stand alone. Already pumped for whats she might come up with next. This new chapter of YA literature with so many authors, changing the game... I am all in!

This review was also shared to my blog, amazon, and partially to Instagram.

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Before She Ignites by Jodi Meadows

Before She Ignites by Jodi Meadows
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Before She Ignites takes place on the Fallen Islands, which live in a fragile peace, held together by the Mira Treaty. Mira, called the Hopebearer, was named after said treaty and has spent her life being groomed into the perfect example. But instead of looking nice at each and every gathering she prefers to spend her hours in the dragon century, protecting and caring for the creatures she loved and adores ever since her childhood. When the dragons go missing a terrible suspicion arises in Mira, which she – doing the right thing – voices in front of her home island's council. Betrayal stings sharply as Mira is suddenly faced with life-threatening changes and a battle she does not feel capable of, an adventure that will not only leave her own life in shambles but might shake the very foundations of the Treaty she was born to protect.

AND I LOVE THIS BOOK. I haven't written a review in ages and I fear I will spend this one just gushing about the amazing storytelling, the interesting characters, and the world I would love to visit in a heartbeat. Seriously, after Middle Earth and Faerie the Fallen Island are up there on the top of my fictional bucket list (And in comparison to the Hinterland and Faerie I might even have a chance of surviving longer than a day). I easily got lost in this world so well thought through and interesting, the concept of the gods alone left me in awe.

I can see that certain scenes might be triggering for people dealing with claustrophobia or a fear of the dark. I never struggled with either but the tension in this book made my heart race. I wonder how much time the other herself spend looked up in a dark dungeon to capture the feeling so well and compassionate (I hope none at all tbh)

Before She Ignites has been the first book I read by Jodi Meadows, though I saw her previous stories on several platforms and in several bookstores. I am very happy that I was introduced to this author for her writing style is easily readable, even for a non-natural speaker of the English language, and I was able to race through the entire book within days (I would not have survived waiting for the ending much longer if I am honest). But even on a second read the little details and her clear writing are more than enjoyable at a slower speed. I definitely intend to reread the entire book before the second one, As She Ascends, hits shelves later this year.

I must admit that Mira wasn't my favorite kind of protagonist at first glance, which turned out to be a rather good thing. We have seen thousands of strong and capable women, dealing with her own foes and shadows, gaining that so dearly desired and truly deserved happy ending. And while there is nothing wrong with it, I was delighted to see such a vulnerable character as a POV (and POC if I am not mistaken now ;) ), a character that slew her own demons in some ways, while still being relatable. (view spoiler)[Mira did not turn from princess into knight overnight, but with one step after the other, sometimes closer to failure, and it was a joy and an inspiration to see her on that journey. (hide spoiler)] Am I throwing around too many happy words? I honestly cannot come up with anything bad about this book except for the fact that it ended and I still need to wait for the second one...

Yes, I admit it. This was a full five star read and though I always try to be not too fangirly in my reviews I can do nothing but fangirl when it comes to this book. It has been, by far, my favorite read of the last year!

For me, this book was very helpful when it came to dealing with stress. The characters deal with stress in their own ways, I for one am easily moved to tears when stressed – especially when patients and colleagues at work go crazy on me again – so „Strength through Silence“ has become some kind of mantra that truly helps me in these moments to remember: deep calm breaths!

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