A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness Narration : Jennifer Ikeda Genre : Paranormal Romance Series : A Discovery of Witches About the Book  : Deep in the stacks of Oxford’s Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a...

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell Pages : 522 Genre : YA, Fantasy Stand alone My Rating : 3.5/5 About the Book  : Simon Snow is the worst chosen one who’s ever been chosen. That’s what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he’s probably right. Half the time, Simon can’t even make his wand work, and the other half, he sets something on fire. His mentor’s avoiding him, his girlfriend...

Blood Song by Rhiannon Hart Pages : 290 Genre : Fantasy, YA Series : Lharmell, book 1 My Rating : 4/5 What it’s about : Princess Zeraphina has an unexplained thirst for blood – something she would not want anyone to know. When her sister gets promised to a prince in the north, Zeraphina is first excited; she sees the trip there as an occasion to investigate the source of her difference. But things in the north are not...

Soulless, the Manga by Gail Carriger (author) and Rem (illustrator) Pages : 224 Genre : Manga, Steampunk, Romance Series : The Parasol Protectorate, Manga – Volume 1 My Rating : 4,5/5 From the back of the book : The life of a spinster in Victorian London isn’t an easy one on the best of days, but such a life becomes infinitely more complicated when said spinster is “soulless” – a preternatural bridging...

Team Human by Justine Larbalestier & Sarah Rees Brennan Pages : 344 Genre : YA, Urban Fantasy Stand Alone My Rating : 4/5 What it’s about : Mel never thought her best friend would make such a stupid mistake as falling in love with a vampire; yet when a vampire joins their high school, this is exactly what happens. Even though she grew up in a town founded by vampires, it’s the first time Mel is confronted with the idea of a...

Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs Pages : 287 Genre : Urban Fantasy Series : Mercy Thompson, Book 3 My Rating : From the Back of the Book : Mechanic Mercy Thompson can shift her shape – but not her loyalty. When her former boss and mentor is arrested for murder and left to rot behind bars by his own kind, it’s up to Mercy to clear his name, whether he wants her to or not. Mercy’s loyalty is under pressure from other...

Sometimes I don’t feel like talking to an extent about some of the books I’ve read, so I choose to go with the short reviews instead. I’ve done this in the past mainly with books I hadn’t enjoyed, but this time it’s not the case. Instead, here are three books I did enjoy reading but that didn’t leave a strong impression on me. These share some similarities, as all three are the first of their series, and all...

Soulless by Gail Carriger Pages : 357 Genre : Paranormal, Romance, Steampunk Series : The Parasol Protectorate, Book 1 My Rating : From the back of the book : Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she’s a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she is being rudely attacked by a vampire to whom she has not been properly introduced! Where to go from there? From...