Thursday 24 August 2017

Caraval

Title: Caraval
Author: Stephanie Garber
Type: Hardback
Read: 20th August - 23rd August 2017
Rating: 5/5
Published: 31st January 2017 by Hodder & Stauton

Whatever you've heard about Caraval, it doesn't compare to the reality. It's more than just a game or a performance. It's the closest you'll ever find to magic in this world . . . 

Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the far-away, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.
But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever.
I have no idea how you even pronounce Caraval. But I wanted to be a part of it. It sounds so magical and amazing. The deathly part is a little freaky but I guess I could deal with it if I had to. This book had such amazing hype when it came out. I got so caught up in it. When released in hardback, the book has a hidden cover under the dust jacket. But then they decided to release like five different covers all hidden. So unless your super cheeky and looking through them, its a surprise at what you got. Mine was a tophat. It's pretty awesome.
 
Scarlett and Tella are two sisters who live on a remote island with their abusive father. Tella would do anything to escape and Scarlett believes marrying a count of whom she's never met will be their ticket out of there. Scarlett has been writing to Master Legend begging for his performers and Caraval to come to their island for years. Sending one final letter informing him that she is geting married and therefore doesn't belive in Caraval she finally gets a reply with three tickets included. But to go would surely mean the wrath of her father. Tella doesn't care. With a salior who has recently ported on the island, they manage to kidnap Scarlett and take her to the Legends private island where the game truely begins.

Not everything you see or hear is real. People are always out to trick you. But what happens when the game suddenly feels and becomes too real. Tella is kidnaped and Scarlett has a duty to find her along with many other people for the prize of a life time. A wish.

I loved the whole attention to detail in this book. I loved the feel of the magic floating around the story and Scarletts desire to find her sister. But is her mind playing tricks. How has her father managed to get onto the island as well. And can she really trust Julian. It's all so very exciting.

There are only five days to the game. Everything comes alive at night and you must be in your room when the sun comes up. Trying to work out the clues makes the book so much more fun. Caraval seems like a magical game with many twists and turns. Once you start thinking you get it, something changes your mind.

I am still confused on the ending and I hope this is cleared up in the next book. But Caraval is truely an enchanting fantasy to be told. 


Go Get it From: Amazon UKBook DepositoryWaterstones | Wordery
Follow @SGarberGirl
 
 

The Silvered Heart

Title: The Silvered Heart
Author: Katherine Clements
Type: Paperback
Read: 1st August - 19th August 2017
Rating: 4/5
Published: 2015 by Headline Review

1648. Orphaned heiress Lady Katherine Ferrers is forced into marriage for the sake of family honour... But with Cromwell's army bringing England to its knees, her fortune is the real prize her husband desires. As her marriage becomes a prison and her privileged world crumbles, Katherine meets her match in Rafe - a lover who will lead her into a dangerous new way of life where the threat of death lurks at every turn...

Enter Kate Ferrers, highwaywoman, the Wicked Lady of legend - brought gloriously to life in this tale of infatuation, betrayal and survival.

 I requested a copy of this book from bookbridgr - it seemed slightly different to what i would usually read and I figured i'd branch out. It's seemed every historic and I would usually struggle with these types of books. However I really enjoyed this one.

Lady Katherine who grew up in a world of privilge is to be wed to Thomas. A youngman whom she has not seen since she was a child. If only to ensure her place in the world and keep what is rightly hers. However when war starts out, althought married it is anything but a privilged life Kate leads. Along with her trusted maidservent Rachel, they learn to live in a world far from that she grew up in. With a husband who is constantly away and whom is only interested in getting a heir, Kate learns to live with the little she has. Until things change...

Rafe who is Rachels' brother teaches Kate some ways of the world, ways to obtain what is not yours to help you survive. They made a fantastic pair and I was so routing for them throughout.

The book is too sad, it has moments where friendships are tested and lives lost. It tests the faithfullness of servents and familes. I enjoyed it as although at first Kate could be very demanding to the point of being a spoilt child, she grew up, found herself and decided her own path, her own future, which was pretty much forbiden then.

An enchanting tale. 

Go Get it From: Amazon UKBook DepositoryWaterstones | Wordery
Follow @KL_Clements
 

The Hunt

Title: The Hunt
Author: T.J. Lebbon
Type: Paperback
Read: 18h July - 1st August 2017
Rating: 4/5
Published: 16th July 2015 by Avon

Escape and they’ll kill your family.
The cruellest game. The highest stakes. Only she can bring his family back alive …Rose is the one that got away. She was the prey in a human trophy hunt organised by an elite secret organisation for super-rich clients seeking a unique thrill. She paid a terrible price. Every moment since she has been planning her revenge … And now her day has come. Chris returns from his morning run to find his wife and children missing and a stranger in his kitchen.
He’s told to run.

If he’s caught and killed, his family go free. If he escapes, they die. Rose is the only one who can help him, but Rose only has her sights on one conclusion. For her, Chris is bait. But The Trail have not forgotten the woman who tried to outwit them. The Trail want Rose. The hunters want Chris’s corpse. Rose wants revenge, and Chris just wants his family back.
The hunt is on …
Fast paced and additive book. This has been sitting on my shelf for ages before i decided to read it.

Chris returns home from his usual morning run to find a stranger in his home and no sign of his wife and two daughters. All he is told is to wait further instructions. But to escape his family will be killed.

It's a story of how much you will do for your family, how the will to survive must surely count for something. This book is packed with everything. It's full of action, drama and a hunt.

Rose, was the one who escaped. She's decided she wants to help Chris, or is she using him as bait. Together they must keep Chris alive as long as he is being hunted and work out how to save his family and bring those who kill to justice.

I enjoyed the book, it was addictive and i think they made a TV show of it?
 


Go Get it From: Amazon UKBook DepositoryWaterstones
Follow @timlebbon 
 

Monday 14 August 2017

Concert: Paw Patrol Live


Show: Paw Patrol Live
Tour: Race to the Rescue
Location: Barclaycard Arena, Birmingham
Date: 12th August 2017
 
So as much as I love theater, shows and concerts, I love nothing more than to take family to see them. Especially the children as I want to them to experience the wonders of shows at a younger age. So my treat to two of my neices and nephews was to take them to see Paw Patrol Live. These two, one aged five and the other two are big fans of the show. My niece is all for pup Everest and my nephew changes between Chase and Rubble. So when Ryder and the gang came to town, I had to be the ool aunty and take them.

We had the 1.30pm showing on a saturday, they were doing three shows each of the two days they were in Birmingham. I don't think the show was as much a sell out as I expected it to be. But then perhaps the earlier or later show might have been. The show was split into two halfs. For children, I think this is a must. You can't keep a childs attention too long if you go on forever. So each half with a fiftteen minute interval was approx half an hour. 

Ryder came out and introduced all the pups, Marshall, Rocky, Rubble, Chase, Skye and Zuma. We don't see Everst until a little into the show. The kids love it as they sing the theme tune and they dance. The show is all about the Great Adventure Bay Race. But when Mayor Goodway goes missing, the pups are called for to find her and get to the finish line. Along the way we meet the naughty Mayor Humdigger who, with his evil cats, try to throw the pups off the scent. 

The children are encouraged to get up and dance and were also encouraged to shout out to help the pups find the three clues, to help them work out where the finishing line was. It prety much takes a tour of the whole TV show, from the look out to Seal Island and to Jakes Mountain.The kids loved it from start to finish.

It was a really fun show. I think time wise was enough for children, it kept their attention and they enjoyed singing and dancing along. Merchandise was very expensive and I think unless children really loved the show was possibly a waste of money. But many did queue for them. There were also many children dressed up as their favourite pups throughought. We seen quite a few Marshalls and Chase's and many Skye's. 

A brilliant show for children and some adults alike! 

"Paw Patrol is on a Roll"