Apologies and Explanations

Photo from my instagram @arjunthakrar

Okay guys, we need to talk and by that I mean I have some apologies and explaining to do to you. So as you've more than obviously noticed I've been extremely inactive this year, even after promising I'd try to be more active. So now I'm going to explain why. By no means have I abandoned the blog nor do I want to. I seriously love this blog so much and connecting with you all and sharing my love for books and reading with you all. In fact it's really frustrating for me to be unable to devote the amount of time I'd like to to this blog. So to reader, authors and publishers, I'm insanely sorry for my lack of presence. Anyway apologies aside let me explain why it's been this way. Last September I started my first year of A levels and quite honestly I had no idea the amount of time they'd take up in my life and they did take up way loads of time. I found that not only did I have no time write blog posts but I had no time to read either, unless you count textbooks and revision guides. Anyway, the issue of time has only increased as the year has progressed, the A Levels becoming much heavier and more time consuming. Anyway I'm at the point now where my exams are in 6 weeks and I have literally no time to do anything except revise. Taking the time out to write this post, I still have revision in the back of my mind, however I've been so consumed by guilt over my inactivity on this blog both for the reader and the publishers that I felt I needed to take the time out to write this post and at least explain to you why. Henceforth for the next 6-10 weeks, unfortunately, this blog will continue in this horrible state of inactivity - HOWEVER, as soon as my exams are over I promise to god, I'm going to post so much on here you won't know whats hit you. By no means do I want to call quits and once exams are over I will be reading everything and posting so much on here. In the mean time I'll try to maybe get some stuff up but if I don't I'm really sorry and I hope you guys understand. I feel really bad guys, but I'll be back soon!!!

THE MIME ORDER - BLOG TOUR - MUSIC

So guys this is the final part of my Mime Order blog tour and after reading the book, I decided for my final post I wanted make almost like a playlist for the book with some music that I really felt suited the story, the world and the relationships, so without further ado here are my choices.

Hearts Without Chains - Ellie Goulding

I picked this because not only does it have a slow and slightly haunting feel to it but it also has this rough yet soft and tender side to it and just listening to the lyrics I feel like they sum up Paige and her situation in a whole song, and I feel there is no better representation for her than this song.




Everybody's Watching Me - The Neighbourhood

This song, I felt fitted, because it's about always being watched by so many people and feeling like you need to get away and hide, and for Paige that is this book. Also the song has very rough and dark vibes that match the slightly darker tone to this book.




A World Alone - Lorde

I picked this, because whilst it doesn't describe the whole setting in this book, I feel like it describes Paige's personal world or feeling alone and being in constant fear, whilst still getting those rare and scarce free breathless moments.




I know places - Taylor Swift

I picked this one because I feel like the lyrics and song sum up the relationship between Warden And Paige. It's this forbidden relationship, that once people find out there will be people ready to hunt them. Also how they only get brief moments with each other but when they do they're always in moments of fear or chaos. I think the vibe and tone of the song is also kind of dark and hypnotic, basically like Warden and Paige!

Sorry there's no video of this song because youtube won't allow it due to copyright.


Animals  - Maroon 5

I think this song is perfect for Paige's situation of being on the run and being hunted by so many people. The lyrics represent her having to hide and run and yet still have so many eyes on her at the same and only being able to find a little solstice in Warden.



So there you have it!! They are my five songs that I've picked so I hope you like them and comment on whether you agree or disagree that they fit the story!?

Also I finally want to give a massive thank you to bloomsbury for letting me be a part of this amazing blog tour and a part of the release for the Mime Order!!!

THE MIME ORDER - SAMANTHA SHANNON - REVIEW

Book: The Mime Order
Author: Samantha Shannon
Publisher: Bloomsbury
ISBN:
Rating: 10/10

Paige Mahoney has escaped the brutal penal colony of Sheol I, but her problems have only just begun: many of the fugitives are still missing and she is the most wanted person in London. As Scion turns its all-seeing eye on Paige, the mime-lords and mime-queens of the city's gangs are invited to a rare meeting of the Unnatural Assembly. Jaxon Hall and his Seven Seals prepare to take centre stage, but there are bitter fault lines running through the clairvoyant community and dark secrets around every corner. Then the Rephaim begin crawling out from the shadows. But where is Warden? Paige must keep moving, from Seven Dials to Grub Street to the secret catacombs of Camden, until the fate of the underworld can be decided. Will Paige know who to trust? The hunt for the dreamwalker is on.

Breathless. That's how I felt after finishing this book. A year I waited for this book and for something I waited so long for, I finished so quick and now I'm waiting for the next one... already.
But seriously, The Mime Order utterly blew me away. Phenomenal doesn't even begin to describe it.

The story. Whilst I knew vaguely where the story would go after the massive cliffhanger that was 'the Bone Season' I had no idea it would go the way it did. This story and world is already so unique and special, as it is, and Shannon has succeeded in penning another riveting and twist filled plot that will keep you up till the dead of night, turning the pages until there none left to turn.
I love how we saw the story progress through this novel and how we followed Paige as she travelled through London as well as being on the run from everyone. No joke, everyone is after Paige (she doesn't really catch a break in this book) and that's why this is just such an insane, action packed book, that I just couldn't put down.
The story, I found, flowed, well. It was never slow in any way, but the further you read the more the pace picked up and the more riveting it became, to the point where I was locked to it and could not put the book down. Shannon has masterfully created this plot and whilst it gave me everything I wanted it left me wanting so much more. (I know this is kinda vague around the plot but I really don't want to give anything away guys, you really have to read this is experience how perfect this book is)

The setting. It was really interesting to see London through Paige's eyes, but in a different way to how she saw it in book 1. In book 1 it was very much a place hide from but now it's her place to hide within, and I loved seeing how she moved around London with all these secret places that only she knew about. Needless to say, I just loved seeing this fantasy ridden London (in the future) and even though I've been to London so many times, I didn't even need to use those images to engross myself because Shannon's writing was so fluid and rich that it just built up the new London so vividly in my mind.
Also, this is a personal thing, but I feel like this story and novel just wouldn't have worked or had the same effect had it been set elsewhere and London and Oxford really were and are the perfect settings for this book and Shannon makes them work beautifully with the story.

Now onto the writing. Shannon's writing wowed from book one and it's done nothing but get better with book 2. The writing has only become more seamless and a pleasure to read. Words flowed easily, building up worlds and characters in my mind with ease. The way Shannon used words to craft this world is on a whole new level of amazing and from page one I slipped into this story, and lived it first hand through this articulate and beautiful prose.

The characters in this were even better than last time. Not only did we get to delve deeper into their mind and not only see them in a different light, responsive to different situations, but we also got to know them and their history better, allowing us to understand them better and their place within the story. However, the two I want to focus on are Paige and Warden, first separately, then together.
Paige, as a character, grew so much in this book and I loved watching it. Even though, really, she's always been on her own, she becomes alone properly for the very first time and we see her come into her own, take control of her life and somehow just about manage to keep it together in the middle of the biggest mess ever. Seeing her develop in this book was exactly what I wanted because now she's a stronger and better character and I can't wait to see her take on everyone in the next book (hopefully).
Now to Paige and Warden. Although Warden isn't in this novel straight away (he comes back about halfway through), the chemistry and electricity between these two characters is off the charts. They're literally the perfect couple together and Shannon has made it this way, so that you can't help but love them together, which also worries me that she's made us love them as a couple so she can do something devastating, however until that happens I can't wait to see them together in the next book.
That's another great point to the book; whilst there is romance and it does have a key role it doesn't ever overwhelm or take over the book, nor does Paige let it become the most important thing in her life. The book still stays strongly focused on the main storyline and Paige says focused on herself and what she needs to.

So overall I can say I am not disappointed at all with this book; It's everything I wanted and more. Whilst it's still a complete mess everything came together in a satisfying way, that's left me needing the next book now. All the aspects of this book have tied together to create a masterpiece, and quite honestly this book is dripping with perfection.

THE MIME ORDER - BLOG TOUR - FANMADE COVER

Hi Guys!!! So today is Friday the 16th and that means today THE MIME ORDER BLOG TOUR HERE ON EXCELLENT READS!!! HOORAY! So anyway, here is my first treat for you guys and it's a fanned cover of the Mime Order that I made a few days after I finished the book. I was actually going to post it earlier but when I found out I would be participating in the blog tour, I thought what better time to post it than today!? So anyway, here it is and I hope you like it!! I tried to go for a more adulty, classic, simple cover!

THE MIME ORDER - NEWS

So guys, The Mime Order, by Samantha Shannon, is nearly upon us and whilst I've had a proof for a good few months I can not wait for it to come out and for all you guys to be able to read it because trust me it is insanely amazingly good! You guys are going to be blown away, and if you haven't started this series yet, then buy yourself the Bone Season and get started now please!!

Anyway as for news: I am going to be part of the Mime Order blog tour!!!! Yes, tomorrow is my stop on the tour so keep your eyes peeled for some awesome posts to do with the mime order, it's going to be great! I am also so honoured to be a part of this books release, especially a series that is so amazing and that I love so much!

So as you can see below is a schedule of all the stops on the tour and all the different blogs and if you scroll a little further down from that you'll be able to see the covers for both the bone season and the mime order, with blurbs!

EVEN A DREAMER CAN START A REVOLUTION Nineteen-year-old Paige Mahoney works in the criminal underworld of Scion London. Her job: to scout for information by breaking into people's minds. For Paige is a dreamwalker, a clairvoyant and, in the world of Scion, she commits treason simply by breathing.

Paige Mahoney has escaped the brutal prison camp of Sheol I, but her problems have only just begun: many of the survivors are missing and she is the most wanted person in London...As Scion turns its all-seeing eye on the dreamwalker, the mime-lords and mime-queens of the city's gangs are invited to a rare meeting of the Unnatural Assembly. Jaxon Hall and his Seven Seals prepare to take centre stage, but there are bitter fault lines running through the clairvoyant community and dark secrets around every corner.Then the Rephaim begin crawling out from the shadows. But where is Warden? Paige must keep moving, from Seven Dials to Grub Street to the secret catacombs of Camden, until the fate of the underworld can be decided.

TOP TEN TUESDAY - MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2015

Hi guys, so I know I've been inactive for a long while and that's mainly because of college and exams and little time for reading and stuff so I'm super sorry about that, and in no way has college and exams calmed down, my life is still crazy hectic but a 2015 new years resolution was for me to find time for this blog more so here I go with Top Ten Tuesday and my Top Ten Most anticipated books of 2015!

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

Grey London is dirty, boring, lacks magic, ruled by mad King George. Red London is where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London is ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne. People fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. Once there was Black London - but no one speaks of that now.Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell smuggles for those willing to pay for even a glimpse of a world they’ll never see. This dangerous hobby sets him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a dangerous enemy, then forces him to another world for her 'proper adventure'.But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive — trickier than they hoped.

The Wicked will Rise by Danielle Paige

To make Oz a free land again, Amy Gumm was given a mission: remove the Tin Woodman’s heart, steal the Scarecrow’s brain, take the Lion’s courage, and then Dorothy must die....But Dorothy still lives. Now the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked has vanished, and mysterious Princess Ozma might be Amy’s only ally. As Amy learns the truth about her mission, she realizes that she’s only just scratched the surface of Oz’s past—and that Kansas, the home she couldn't wait to leave behind, may also be in danger. In a place where the line between good and evil shifts with just a strong gust of wind, who can Amy trust—and who is really Wicked?

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change.Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the centre ofthose she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.But power is a dangerous game. And in this world divided by blood, who will win?

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

Los Angeles. It’s been five years since the events of the Mortal Instruments when Nephilim stood poised on the brink of oblivion and Shadowhunter Emma Carstairs lost her parents. After the blood and violence she witnessed as a child, Emma has dedicated her life to to discovering exactly what it was that killed her parents and getting her revenge.Raised in the Los Angeles Institute with the Blackthorn family, Emma is paired as a parabatai with her best friend, Julian Blackthorn. A series of murders in the city catch her attention — they seem to have the same characteristics as the deaths of her parents. Could the murderer be the same person? And her attention isn’t the only one caught: someone has been murdering Downworlders as well. The Fair Folk make a deal with the Institute: if the Blackthorns and Emma will investigate the killings, they’ll return Mark Blackthorn to his home. The catch: they have only two weeks to find the killers. Otherwise it’s open war between faeries and Nephilim.The Shadowhunters of the Institute must race against time to catch the killers, even as they begin to suspect the involvement of those closest to them. At the same time, Emma is falling in love with the one person in the world she’s absolutely forbidden by Shadowhunter Law to love. Set against the glittering backdrop of present-day Los Angeles, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches from the warlock-run nightclubs of the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica.

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

Children can have a cruel, absolute sense of justice. Children can kill a monster and feel quite proud of themselves. A girl can look at her brother and believe they’re destined to be a knight and a bard who battle evil. She can believe she’s found the thing she’s been made for.Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries’ seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once.At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking.Until one day, he does…As the world turns upside down, Hazel tries to remember her years pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough?

The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey

Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she's ever known. Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she's fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it's time to act.Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all: find the Firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, but if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it's how to hunt down what she wants . . . and how to take it.But some jobs aren't as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire.

Half Wild by Sally Green

In a modern-day England where two warring factions of witches live amongst humans, seventeen-year-old Nathan is an abomination, the illegitimate son of the world's most powerful and violent witch. Nathan is hunted from all sides: nowhere is safe and no one can be trusted. Now, Nathan has come into his own unique magical Gift, and he's on the run--but the Hunters are close behind, and they will stop at nothing until they have captured Nathan and destroyed his father.

All I know now by Carrie Hope Fletcher

We all know that growing up is hard to do, and sometimes the only thing that makes it better are the reassuring words of someone who has walked that bumpy road just a few steps ahead of you and somehow ended up as a fully-functioning adult. Carrie Hope Fletcher is that person.* Thanks to her phenomenally popular YouTube videos, Carrie has become an 'honorary big sister' to hundreds of thousands of young people who turn to her for advice, friendship and, most of all, the knowledge that things will get better.Carrie has created a safe and positive space for young people to connect and share their hopes and concerns online, and now she will share her most personal thoughts and experiences in her first book, ALL I KNOW NOW. Part memoir, part advice guide, it will include Carrie's thoughts on some of the topics she's asked about most regularly: bullying, body image, relationships and perhaps the scariest question of all: what does the future hold for me? With warmth, wit and a sprinkling of hard-won wisdom, Carrie will provide the essential tools for growing up gracefully . . . most of the time.*Although she did recently post a video about how to pee in a onesie. So the definition of 'adult' is a bit flexible here . . .

Dangerous Deception by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stool

From the world of Beautiful Creatures--a dangerous new tale of love and magic continues in the sequel to Dangerous Creatures.Love is ten kinds a crazy, right?Let me put it to you this way: If you can get away, run. Don't walk.Because once you're exposed, you'll never get a Siren outta your head.Some loves are cursed. Others are...dangerous. Especially the love between wannabe rocker and quarter Incubus, Wesley "Link" Lincoln, and Dark Caster, Siren, and bonafide bad girl, Ridley Duchannes.But now Ridley is missing, and Link was with her-right up until she vanished. Determined to find her, Link reunites with his New York bandmates and the mysterious Lennox Gates, who wants Rid for himself. Together they travel to the deep south, find the crossroads where blues guitarist Robert Johnson made his deal with the devil, discover a menagerie of Casters locked in cages, and uncover an evil in New Orleans that threatens to destroy them all.This time, love might not be enough.

Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother's mysterious death, he's lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers. One day, he's tracked down by an uncle he's never met—a man his mother claimed was dangerous. His uncle tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god. The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years. When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision. Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die . . .