May Wrap-Up (2017)

I was supposed to write a lot of reviews this month but… I ended up working more than anticipated (which is not a bad thing) and on the few days I wasn’t working I spend time with my family or boyfriend.
Still, I managed to read quite a few books! Most of them are short novels or novellas so that explains it.

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1) Raven Stratagem (The Machineries of Empire #2), by Yoon Ha Lee
I got this eARC from Netgalley. I really liked Ninefox Gambit and wasn’t sure about reading the sequel since it was so dense. But the ending was amazing and I decided to request this title. I do not regret it one instant, it was a magistral sequel! There are SO many things to say, which is why I’m still working on my final review!

2) The Traitor’s Tunnel (A Trident Chronicles Novella), by C.M. Spivey
So so so good.
While not it had not the best plot and a resolution too easy in my opinion, I loved the characters and had the best time reading it. So I can only recommend you give this novella a chance. It’s bellow 2£/€ so do give this one a chance 🙂
This will be the next review up on the blog, shortly!

3) Lysandre Chalkhill – Livre 1 : Filigranes (Lysandre Chalkhill #1), by Hélène Louise
L’auteure m’a envoyé ce roman en échange d’une chronique (que je dois prendre le temps d’écrire dès que possible!) et j’ai beaucoup aimé l’univers. Je suis curieuse de voir ce qu’il y a de prévu pour la suite, mais je n’ai malheureusement pas adoré la romance.

4) Le choix d’Horace: Nouvelle précédant le roman “Filigranes” (Lysandre Chalkhill 0.5), by Hélène Louise
Super petite novella pour voir un aspect de la vie de certains personnages de cette société dystopique et uchronique. J’ai beaucoup aimé le personnage principal, mais il n’y avait pas vraiment d’histoire. Le Choix d’Horace se lit plutôt comme un petit documentaire sur l’aspect de la vie de certains perso juste effleurés dans l’actuel roman.

5) The Book of Phoenix (Who Fears Death 0.1), by Nnedi Okorafor
I loved reading this but by the end I had a few negative feelings about it. That won’t tarnish my love for Nnedi Okorafor but some elements really disappointed me. The Who Fears Death duology isn’t my favourite work from her unfortunately.

6) root, by Melissa Tripp
Lovely poetry collection, really empowering. I didn’t rate it 5/5 because by the end I grew slightly bored and felt like the same things were repeated with just a change of words. Maybe it’s just me and I read it while I was tired? I still would totally recommend it!

7) Assassin’s Fate (The Fitz and The Fool Trilogy #3), by Robin Hobb 
The 16th and final book on the Realm of the Elderlings saga. I have no words for this except that it was amazing. Robin Hobb wrapped up her saga in a masterful way.

8) The Bone Witch (The Bone Witch #1), by Rin Chupeco
I liked the idea of this YA Fantasy novel but I was always waiting for the thing that would make me fall in love with the story. I liked many things about it but I also would not feel the need to read it again for how slow it was. I only began to have fun reading this more than halfway through. I think the sequel will be more to my taste!

9) A Red Peace (Starfire #1), by Spencer Ellsworth
I went into this eARC (send by the publisher) not knowing anything. I try to read every novel and novella Tor send my way when I can so I just started this one because it was from them. What a great surprise it was! Fun, fast paced, great main characters, awesome worldbuilding… I could go on! I’m really glad I took the time to read A Red Peace and definitely would recommend.
I will post my review closer to release date, in August.

10) The Secrets I Keep, by Alex Casso
I bought this short collection of poems because I had been following the authors on twitter and it was a great decision. It was a very difficult read because of the subjects it dealt with, a very emotional one.
I’ll post a short review in one or two days!

11) A Lady’s Maid, by Sarah Gailey
Free short story to read on the Barnes&Noble blog! I had a lot of fun and this only confirms my thoughts that I will read everything Sarah Gailey writes!

12) Paper Girls Vol. 1, by Brian K. Vaughan, Cliff Chiang (Illustrator), Matthew Wilson (Illustrator)
Really great graphic novel focusing on four “paper girls” and some kind of aliens or time travelers. Left me craving for the second volume!
I didn’t rate it 5/5 because one of the girls is a homophobic and while the other girls are always challenging her mean comments, it wasn’t great to read. I know it’s to show how it was at the time but, meh. Also one of the chapters ends with an uncertainty whether someone commited suicide and I thought this was just using suicide for shock value and I don’t really like that…

13) Two Serpents Rise (Craft Sequence #2), by Max Gladstone
I got the 6th book in this sequence as an eARC so I feel like I must read the others before going in. I’m trying to binge them as fast as I can! Two Serpents Rise was super great on the worldbuilding side, along with awesome supporting characters and an interesting main one. I’m happy I finally took the time to read it!

14) The New Voices of Fantasy, edited by Peter S. Beagle and Jacob Weisman 
Another eARC from Netgally, while not what I was expecting, I liked the stories. I was expecting a bigger fantasy feel than that but I wouldn’t say I’m disappointed. Now that I’ve read it, I think the cover art is perfect for it. (It’s my actual phone lock screen at the moment)

15) Full Fathom Five (Craft Sequence #3), by Max Gladstone
I loved this one much more than the previous one. While I missed the city, seeing another side of this world, on an island, was super great. I also loved all the main characters! Kai is a trans woman (she’s the one with a cane on the cover), Izza is a young refugee girl who lives on the streets, and there’s also Teo (my favourite character from the previous book) too! We don’t get any chapters from her point of view, which is sad (and I wonder why she’s the one on the cover with Kai and not Izza?) but I loved to follow all of these amazing women!

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Some numbers:
15 books
13 in English and 2 in French
3 from publishers, 2 from authors

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What I posted this month:

Well, that’s not glorious at all… I’ll do better this month, promise!

What’s on my immediate TBR?
Book review: Final Girls
Chronique de livre: Mars Horizon
Book review: Assassin’s Fate

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Currently reading:

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I still can’t believe it’s June already! I didn’t see May fly by since I had so many things to do. Again, I’m sorry I couldn’t post that much, nor visit all the blogs I follow, but June should be a slower month for me, hopefully!

What was your favourite book in May? Mine definitely was ASSASSIN’S FATE ❤