The Red Palace by June Hur Book Review

 

Title: The Red Palace
Author: June Hur
Publish Date: January 25th, 2022
Publisher: Fiewel & Friends
Source: Huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy!

Joseon (Korea), 1758. There are few options available to illegitimate daughters in the capital city, but through hard work and study, eighteen-year-old Hyeon has earned a position as a palace nurse. All she wants is to keep her head down, do a good job, and perhaps finally win her estranged father's approval.

But Hyeon is suddenly thrust into the dark and dangerous world of court politics when someone murders four women in a single night, and the prime suspect is Hyeon's closest friend and mentor. Determined to prove her beloved teacher's innocence, Hyeon launches her own secret investigation.

In her hunt for the truth, she encounters Eojin, a young police inspector also searching for the killer. When evidence begins to point to the Crown Prince himself as the murderer, Hyeon and Eojin must work together to search the darkest corners of the palace to uncover the deadly secrets behind the bloodshed.

Penelope's Review

The Red Palace is a historical fiction murder mystery set in 1758 Korea. It's high-stakes, fast-paced, and has many well-developed characters. I'm really trying to broaden my bookish horizons in terms of culture and genre, and I specifically picked this book for that reason. Also, it just sounded really cool lol. Anyway, I'm quite glad I did as this ended up being a very well-written novel and has done a great job of introducing me to a new-to-me author that I will now be on the lookout for!

Our main female lead in this book is Hyeon, a very relatable young woman who, despite some pretty serious parental issues, is fierce, brave, and loyal in her quest to free her mentor. Watching her struggle through her emotions and learn to overcome certain things in regards to her mother and father just made her feel more real to me. And I loved the scope of her intelligence! We also have Eojin, a police inspector who recruits Hyeon for his investigation into the massacre. Eojin was such a joy to read about. He was steady, analytical, and calm in the face of danger. I would describe his character as a cool breeze, and Hyeon's as a winter storm - something I hope will make sense if you decide to pick up this book! Together, they seemed unstoppable. I was a really big fan of the romance in this book - it wasn't overpowering, it was just enough. It came about slowly yet surely, and felt so natural and realistic. Definitely one of my favourite aspects of the book. 

In terms of plot, I think this story was super unique. I loved the true historical elements that the author included and think she did a great job in her research. I found it very cool that the Crown prince was based on an actual person. Despite the massacre happening very early in the book, I found that it perhaps got off to a bit of a slow start - I found that it took me a little bit to really get into the story. Once I did however, I was able to fly through the pages! 

Overall, I think was an excellently written book with fantastic characters and a great storyline. I loved the intricacies involved in solving the murders and loved how all of the threads of this story came together. 

Rating: 4/5 Devils!

The Chosen Twelve by James Breakwell Blog Tour + Giveaway

 

Hi everyone! This is my post during the blog tour for The Chosen Twelve by James Breakwell. The Hunger Games meets Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy in this breathless survival thriller. Be sure to check out the excerpt and enter the giveaway!

This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours and the tour runs from 18 till 31 January. You can see the tour schedule here.

The Chosen Twelve
By James Breakwell
Genre: Science Fiction /Thriller
Age category: Adult
Release Date: 18 January 2021
Publisher: Rebellion Publishing

Blurb:
There are 22 candidates. There are 12 seats.

The last interstellar colony ship is down to its final batch of humans after the robots in charge unhelpfully deleted the rest. But rebooting a species and training them for the arduous task of colonisation isn’t easy – especially when the planet below is filled with monsters, the humans are more interested in asking questions than learning, and the robots are all programmed to kill each other.

But the fate of humanity rests on creating a new civilization on the planet below, and there are twelve seats on the lander. Will manipulation or loyalty save the day?

The Hunger Games meets Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy in this breathless survival thriller.

EXCERPT:

Chapter 1

     GOD LIVED IN the coffee maker on deck four. Only Gamma knew. But Gamma didn’t make it out that way very often because it was a long journey through the outer halls and he always had schoolwork and also the door wanted to kill him.

     Gamma eyed the doorway carefully. Sure, it looked wide open. The door was recessed in the frame with all its indicator lights off. A less wary organic might march right through and ask God a question, but Gamma knew better. He remembered.

     How long had it been? Four thousand days. No. He had been counting for four thousand days. But there had been many more days before that, indistinct and unchanging, between the day Mu went out the airlock and the day Gamma started keeping track, secretly scratching a metal line below his bunk every night when he went to bed. And it had been even longer since a dishwasher killed Chi, even though Edubot denied it and tried to pretend Chi had never existed at all. Gamma didn’t start counting after Chi died, but he didn’t know he would need to. Gamma was a young and naive eleven-year-old back then. How much time passed between Chi’s death and the day Gamma turned twelve, God only knew.

     Four thousand days ago, Gamma was twelve. Today, Gamma was twelve. That’s what Edubot said. But Gamma had taken Calculus IX enough times to know the math didn’t add up. Somebody was lying.

     Gamma stuck out his arm and waved it in the doorway. The recessed door didn’t react. The threshold was covered in a layer of dust undisturbed by machine tracks or organic feet. It was possible the door hadn’t closed at all in the last four thousand days. If anything, that just made it more dangerous. The door was patient.

     Spenser whirred his brushes apprehensively. Gamma had told him to stay behind, but the small vacuum bot came anyway. It was futile to try to get him to leave Gamma’s side.

     “Shhh,” Gamma said.

     Spenser repeated his apprehensive whir, but quieter. It didn’t matter. The door knew they were both there, even if it was pretending to be dead. It had a ghost.

     Gamma looked back down the abandoned hall. It wasn’t too late to return to the colony ship. If he ran at full speed, he might still make it to class in a few hours, assuming he didn’t cross paths with any other hostile  digital life. That was a big “if.” But by some miracle, he had made it this far safely enough. There was no sense in pressing his luck. Better to return to the colony ship and live to take Calculus IX a sixth time.

     Gamma took one last look at the door and the coffee machine, then turned and walked away. He dragged his feet a little and did his best to whistle, even though he had never learned how. Spenser pivoted to watch him go.

     He remained beside the door.

     Twenty meters down the hall, Gamma changed direction and sprinted toward the door. He jumped and planted both feet right before the threshold. His balance wavered, his torso leaning forward, both arms windmilling. He regained his balance and fell backward, away from the door. He landed hard on his tailbone.

     The door remained inert. It was a cunning foe.

     Spenser rolled forward and bumped gently into Gamma.

     “I’m fine,” Gamma said. He stood and brushed off his dusty hands against his jumpsuit. Other than his own foot (and now hand and butt) prints, and Spenser’s narrow tracks beside them, there was no sign of life in the hall. Nothing had been down this way for a very long time. God chose this place for a reason. He liked to be alone.

     “Can you hear me?!” Gamma shouted through the open doorway. The coffee maker remained as inactive as the door. God might be all-knowing, but his ears could use some work.

     Spenser rolled through the doorway.

     “Spenser, no!” Gamma said, but it was too late. Spenser was already on the other side. 

Links:
- Goodreads
- Amazon
- Amazon paperback
- B&N
- Kobo
- Rebellion Publishing

About the Author:
James Breakwell is a professional comedy writer and amateur father of four girls, ages ten and under. He is best known for his family humor Twitter account @XplodingUnicorn, which has more than a million followers. He has published three comedy parenting books that explore hot button issues like the benefits of doing as little as possible and the best ways to protect your child from zombie attacks. His fourth book, Prance Like No One’s Watching: A Guided Journal for Exploding Unicorns, teaches kids to find humor in the world around them while also avoiding the undead. The Chosen Twelve will be James' science fiction debut. He lives in Indiana, US.

Author links:
- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Goodreads
- Pinterest
- Instagram
- Youtube

Giveaway
There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of The Chosen Twelve. This giveaway is open international. These are the prizes you can win:
- 3 paperback copies of The Chosen Twelve by James Breakwell
- 3 ecopies of The Chosen Twelve by James Breakwell

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Can't Wait Wednesday #28

                              

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they're books that have yet to be released.

Hi everyone! Happy Wednesday! I hope everyone's week has been good so far. I kinda just wish it was the weekend again lol! Anyway, this week I am spotlighting an upcoming book, Belle Morte by Bella Higgin. It's a new vampire book coming out in April! I absolutely adore vampires so I'm hoping that this books lives up to my expectations! We shall see!

Title: Belle Morte

Author: Bella Higgin

Publish Date: April 5th, 2022

Publisher: Wattpad Books

There’s only one way out.

Belle Morte. One of five houses where vampires reside as celebrities and humans are paid to be their living donors. While others came here seeking fortune, I came in search of my sister who walked into Belle Morte five months ago . . . and never walked back out.

Now that I’m here, the secrets about this world have proven to be much bigger than I ever anticipated. And lurking around every corner are shocking insinuations of what happened to my sister. .

There’s only one person who might have the answers I need, and the undeniable pull I feel toward him is terrifying: Edmond Dantès―a vampire, and my mortal enemy.

The harder I try to resist him, the further I fall under his spell. And in one instant my life is irrevocably changed. My past becomes prologue and my fate becomes sealed behind these doors. Belle Morte has spoken.

And it may never let me go.

 

The Witch Finder by J. Todd Kingrea Book Review!

 

Title: The Witch Finder
Author: J. Todd Kingrea
Publish Date: September 23rd, 2021
Publisher: BHC Press
Source: Huge thank you to the author for providing me with a review copy!

In a post-apocalyptic world where tyranny and medieval torture reign supreme and witch burnings are an everyday occurrence, a top Witchfinder must confront the very Church he serves when he learns of its dark past and twisted plans for the future.

The Church of the Deiparous rules with an iron fist and its rising star, Witchfinder Imperator Malachi Thorne, is committed to leading its cause. Thorne is a man on the fast track to greater things so when a convicted traitor and heretic escapes his grip, he won’t tolerate it marring his perfect record.

As he pursues his quarry, he must confront demons, sorcery, and a cult of witches out for his blood. But when Thorne comes face to face with the Church’s dark past and its twisted present, his faith is tested to its limits. Now Thorne must decide who and what he believes in—and what he will do about it.

Penelope's Review

I actually quite enjoyed this book! I found it incredibly well-written with strong characters and a steady, interesting plot. I really enjoyed the religious aspects and the questions posed throughout the novel. I think the exploration of the Church and God, and the corruption that has plagued this institution throughout time, was really well done - it was fictional yet not, and I enjoyed that mix. 

The beginning of this book sort of throws us right into the story so it did take me some time to get my bearings and figure out what was going on and who was who. Despite this, it did get off to a slower start. One thing I will mention (and this is really more a personal preference than anything else) is that characters were referred to by their first and last names throughout the book. So in one paragraph it's Malachi, and in another it's Thorne for example. While that wouldn't necessarily be a problem for 1 or 2 characters, I found that it took me awhile to figure out who was who when this happened with many different characters. Again, this is really more a personal preference and I'm sure there were other readers who had no trouble keeping up! 

I really liked the main male lead, Malachi. I found his journey from stout believer in the Church to questioning of its practices very realistic. His emotions were laid bare, and I enjoyed watching him work through them all to come to his final decisions. I also really liked the supporting characters - Warner, Cabbott, and Traugott in particular. Malachi's "sidekicks" had me laughing out loud at times, which I love in a book! And I was completely surprised at the twist with Traugott's character. 

We also had Teska Vaun. I liked her character as well, but I found that the romance between her and Malachi (thought not fully fleshed out in this book) was a bit rushed. I sort of felt like one moment they were sworn enemies and the next they were questioning whether or not they loved each other. I feel like this may get a bit more attention in the next book, so I'm interested to see where Kingrea takes this.

The plot really picks up in the last half of the book, getting much more fast-paced and bringing in several different elements. While I did enjoy the entire reading experience, I found that I flew through the end much more quickly than the beginning. I feel like this is often the case with fantasy books however, as there is alot of world-building and character development to get through. So again, I'm interested to see how this pans out in the next book.

Overall, I found this to be a great introduction to what I'm sure will develop into a great series (a trilogy if I'm not mistaken). The writing style is excellent, and the world-building is what I expect from a high fantasy novel. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys more of a heavy read, with lots of plot elements, and great character development.

Rating: 4/5 Devils!

Books I Wish Would Become Movies/TV Shows

 Hi everyone! Today I thought I would put together a fun little list of all the books/series that I would absolutely LOVE to see come to life! if you have any books that you would add to the list, comment below! Please note that this is not in any kind of order, it's just whatever order that popped into my head!

1. 

First up on the list is the Hush, Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick! I read this series in high school and LOVED it! It's on my list of series that I would like to re-read one day! I think it would be so much fun to see Nora and Patch in real life! 

2. 

Next up is the Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi! I actually haven't finished this series, but I started it in high school and LOVED it! Juliette is badass and I think this would be wicked to see on the big screen!

3. 

The Black Witch chronicles by Laurie Forest! Ugh love these books. Seriously. Love them. Also the 4th book in the series is coming out March 1st in case you were interested.... I know I am lol. If I were to cast Elloren I'd probably go with a Marie Avgeropoulos type girl - or myself... you know lol.

4. 

Pretty much anything by Sarah Dessen, but I really loved Just Listen. I think this would be such a cute movie! I actually believe that Sarah is getting a couple of her books turned into tv shows, so I'm super excited about that! But I hope they eventually do this one!

5. 

Literally every. single. book. by Katie McGarry. All of them. Especially the Pushing the Limits series because it's the first thing I ever read from her. But for reals - all of her books. So good!

6. 

We have gotten both a movie and a tv show for The Mortal Instruments series, but I NEED an adaptation of The Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare in my life! Omigod... Will, Tessa, Jem?! YES PLEASE!!! And then we can just go ahead and do the rest of Cassandra Clare's books because they are all amazing idk what anyone says.

7. 

We CANNOT forget The Darkest Powers Trilogy by Kelley Armstrong - I am so in love with this series it's not even funny. I think I've literally read it like 5 times... and I will most definitely read it again lol. I would give many things to see Chloe and Derek on the big screen. Many. Things.

8. 

The Selection series by Kiera Cass. Ok so I THINK this one may already be in the works.... there seems to be some conflicting information out there. But from what I understand there is a script and producers are just waiting for the green light from Netflix. Fingers crossed that this goes through because I LOVE these books!!

9. 

Omigosh. Ok so there's no order to this list but if there was, this one would be near the top lol! The House of Night series by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast! I am IN LOVE with every single book in this long ass series. Every time they released a new one, I was like KEEP THEM COMING!!! EPIC! I would also give MANY THINGS to see this make it to the big screen lol!

10. 

The Arcana Chronicles by Kresley Cole. I recently re-read this series (PLEASE KRESLEY GIVE ME THE FINALE!) and of course, I LOVED IT (are you sensing a theme here yet lol?). I need more Evangeline and Jack and Aric in my life. PLEASE. But no seriously I think this series could make an EPIC apocalypse film. EPIC. Someone please make this happen.

11. 

YET ANOTHER SERIES WHERE THE AUTHOR LEFT US HANGING!! This has got to be one of my all-time favourite series.Seriously. L.J. Smith is a gift to this world lol (ok maybe I'm being dramatic but I love her). But alas, the series was never finished and it kinda looks like it never will be. Which of course frustrates me to no end because I NEED to know what happens!! But regardless, I think this would be amazing as a tv series lol!

12. 

In keeping with the L.J. Smith theme lol I would also LOVE to see The Forbidden Game as a move, a tv show, literally anything lol. I love it. I love it so much. 

13. 

Ok last L.J. Smith book I promise! Dark Visions - I am in love with Gabriel. In love with him. There are so many hot guys I would cast lol. So. Many. 

14. 

Does anyone remember the Wither series by Lauren DeStefano?! This came out like 10 or 11 years ago at the time of writing this but honestly, it still slaps lol. This is also on my list of series that I plan on re-reading! I think this could be really well done as a movie series. Lots to work with and it has some great characters!

15. 

And last but certainly not least - The Kissing Tree by Prudence Bice! Most of you have probably never heard of this book but I think it is super underrated. It's such a cute story! I absolutely adored it and would love to see it made into a movie! 

OK! That's it ladies and gentlemen! Honestly, the moral of this story is that all book readers should become producers lol. We can all live broke yet happy lives knowing that we would fit every single scene of a book into a 12 hour long movie that only other bookish people will watch. Haha xD Anyway what do you think of this list?! Anything heere you agree with wanting to see on the big screen? Anything you'd add? Let me know down below!