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🧙 Book review - The Last Graduate 🧙 . Ok, I'm back to RAVE about this book. I loved the first one in this series, and if anything, this was better? El is just such a fantastic protagonist to view the world through - sharp, clever, nuanced, and just so funny! The supporting cast continued to grow as well in wonderful ways, and though this book is primarily a witty and often humourous story, it has some really solid and meaningful themes working underneath all of it. I'm always a sucker for friendships and found family, and this book is chock full of it. El's growth as a character is an absolute standout. I cannot wait to see where this story goes next. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me QOTD: who else has read this series? Who was your fav character? I think it has to be El for me #fantasybooks #fantasybookseries #yafantasy #yabooks #epicreads #booksofinstagram #yabookstagram #lisacassidy #naominovik #adeadlyeducation #thelastgraduate #bookreview #epicfantasy #epicfantasybooks #epicfantasyreads #epicfantasyseries #magicschool #wizardschool #yareads

🧙 Book review - The Last Graduate 🧙 . Ok, I'm back to RAVE about...

🌊 Book review - The House in the Cerulean Sea 🌊 . Finally! My first five star read of 2021!! This book is just beautiful. From beginning to end I adored picking it up and diving back into the pages. There's nothing earth-shattering about this one except in how it makes you feel. In many ways it's a simple story, but I think its beauty is in that simplicity. The characters tug at your heart in so many ways... I just loved it. It's not the usual epic fantasy read you'll often see from me, no swords or battles or intrigue... but I still highly recommend it. The closest comparison I can make is Schwab's Addie LaRue, but even that doesn't do it justice. Do yourself a favour, and go and read this one. It will make your whole day better. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me . . . #lisacassidy #bookreview #thehouseintheceruleansea #tjklune #tjklunebooks #bookstagram #books #reading #readerslife #booknerd #bookish #bookaholic #bookworm #booklover #bookaddict #booksaremybae #bookishglee #heartwarming #lgbtqreads #lgbtqbooks #lgbtqrepresentation

🌊 Book review - The House in the Cerulean Sea 🌊 . Finally! My first...

It's 'Love Your Bookshop Day' here in Australia. Being able to have a leisurely browse in a bookstore is a bit difficult in many places at the moment, but I still wanted to give a BIG shout out to my favourite local bookshops @paperchainbookstore @harryhartogbookseller Woden, and @bookfacestores Gungahlin They've been there for all of us needing a good read through pandemics and lockdowns. Can't wait to head back and browse the shelves again! #LYBD2021 #loveyourbookshop #lovereading #lovebooks #loveyourbookstore #loveyourbookshopday #readerslife #writerslife #books #reading #bookstores

It's 'Love Your Bookshop Day' here in Australia. Being able to have a leisurely browse...

Happy book birthday to Mark of the Huntress 🥳🥳🎊🎊👏👏🗡️🗡️ If you're in the northern hemisphere, you might have to wait a few more hours 😉 Fellow Ken Behrens, if you're after a paperback copy, @bookfacestores Gungahlin currently have copies available via call and collect #releaseday #release #newrelease #markofthehuntress #heirtothedarkmage #lisacassidy #yafantasybooks #yafantasy #yafantasyseries #lgbtqfantasy #lgbtqreads #epicfantasyreads #kindleunlimited #bookbirthday #epicfantasyreads #epicfantasy #fantasy #fantasybooks

Happy book birthday to Mark of the Huntress 🥳🥳🎊🎊👏👏🗡️🗡️ If you're in the northern hemisphere,...

👩‍⚕️ Book Review - The Prison Healer 👩‍⚕️ What an ending! That’s all I’ll say on that score to avoid spoilers, but it was pretty neat. That said, there are a few twists and turns in this book, and there were a couple of occasions where it felt like the twists weren’t telegraphed at all...they were just dropped in, which made them feel unearned. It was an easy read - there were only a handful of spots where it slowed (particularly between the trials) - and Kiva is a brilliant main character, tough and strong... but not in the typical ways of being great at fighting and/or tough talking. She's a healer that puts her patients above everything else, including her personal feelings. I thought it was a great way of depicting strength in a female character without her needing to be a badass warrior. Definitely keen to read the next in this series, which is out soon 👏 #theprisonhealer #lynettenoni #bookreview #lisacassidy #bookchat #yafantasybooks #yabookstagram #yafantasyseries #bookaholic #bookworm #booklover #bookaddict #booksaremybae #bookishglee #aussieauthors #australianwriters #aussiefantasy

👩‍⚕️ Book Review - The Prison Healer 👩‍⚕️ What an ending! That’s all I’ll say...

In honour of the upcoming release of Mark of the Huntress next week, Heir to the Darkmage is currently on sale in the Kindle store for only 99c 😲🤯🥳 Link in bio #kindlesale #kindlebooks #kindleunlimited #kindle #99centsonly #heirtothedarkmage #lisacassidy #yafantasybooks #yabooks #yareads #yafantasyseries #yafantasy #yafantasyfiction #epicfantasy #epicfantasyseries #sale #salesalesale #limitedtimeonly

In honour of the upcoming release of Mark of the Huntress next week, Heir to...

🧛 Book Review - Empire of the Vampire 🧛 Another epic tale from Jay Kristoff!! The writing is exquisite, the world building sublime, and this is another tale full of good characters. Being Kristoff, this isn't the happiest of tales, and there'll never be any such thing as a happy ending, but there are still moments of hope and heart sprinkled throughout. Gabriel as a protagonist didn't grab me as much as Mia did, but side characters Dior and Astrid really shone for me. My only real complaint is how Astrid's storyline progressed...I won't risk spoilers but suffice to say I really didn't like it. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me QOTD: who's read this? What did you think? . . . #currentlyreading #bookstagram #books #reading #readerslife #booknerd #bookish #bookaholic #bookworm #booklover #bookaddict #booksaremybae #bookishglee #jaykristoff #empireofthevampire #lisacassidy #bookreview

🧛 Book Review - Empire of the Vampire 🧛 Another epic tale from Jay Kristoff!!...

🚀 Book Review - Starsight 🚀 . At first I wasn't sure I was going to like this one as much as Skyward... the story changes shape from a cadet at flight school storyline (one of my fav tropes) to more of a spy-explorer-intelligence gathering storyline. Sanderson expands the world quite significantly in this book too, introducing not only multiple species of aliens but also bringing our protagonist to the 'capital city' of the universe, so to speak. But in the end I enjoyed Starsight just as much as Skyward. We leave behind most of our favourite characters from Skyward, but are introduced to some fantastic new ones (Hesho for a new fav, anyone???) who I really fell in love with. Not sure when the next book in the series is out, but I'll be reading it! ⭐⭐⭐⭐ . . . #starsight #skyward #brandonsanderson #bookreview #bookblogger #reader #lisacassidy #fantasybooks #fantasybookseries #yafantasy #yabooks #epicreads #booksofinstagram #yabookstagram #readerslife #bookworm #scififantasy #yascifi

🚀 Book Review - Starsight 🚀 . At first I wasn't sure I was going...

💉 Book Review - The Thursday Murder Club 💉 What a delightful read! Witty and clever right from the first page, this one kept me engaged the whole way through. The mystery (or mysteries) wasn't super compelling, but the four elderly protagonists are superbly and warmly written. The two police side characters are equally great, so different but wonderful. You won't get a lot of suspense or thrills from this one, but you will get a lovely tale that will make you laugh and leave you feeling that little bit lighter #currentlyreading #bookstagram #books #reading #readerslife #booknerd #bookish #bookaholic #bookworm #booklover #bookaddict #booksaremybae #bookishglee #thethursdaymurderclub #richardosman #lisacassidy #mysterybooks #mystery #murdermystery

💉 Book Review - The Thursday Murder Club 💉 What a delightful read! Witty and...

Look what just arrived in the post 👀😍👏 Has anyone read this yet?? . . . #bookmail #jaykristoff #empireofthevampire #newseries #newbooks #newrelease #cantwaittoread #booksaremybae #iheartbooks #readerslife #lovereading #fantasy #fantasyseries #fantasybooks

Look what just arrived in the post 👀😍👏 Has anyone read this yet?? . ....

Ooh it's not a blurb reveal is it? 👀 🧐 7 October 2021 You can pre-order now! Link in bio #blurb #blurbreveal #markofthehuntress #heirtothedarkmage #lisacassidy #liraastor #comingsoon #newrelease #books #fantasybooks #fantasybookseries #fantasyseries #fantasy #notlongnow

Ooh it's not a blurb reveal is it? 👀 🧐 7 October 2021 You can...

Guys, I did a thing! I created a Facebook group. I called it Lisa's Writer's Cave. It's a discussion group where you can: 1. Talk about any of my books - fav characters, theories, hated villains etc. 2. Ask me any questions you like - about anything you like 3. Discuss any other amazing books you're reading. You will get asked a question to be able to join the group... but it's a pretty easy one 😉 Join via the link in my bio, or search 'Lisa's Writer's Cave' in Facebook #bookdiscussion #facebookgroup #facebookgroups #writerslife #writerslifeforme #themagechronicles #ataleofstarsandshadow #heirtothedarkmage #bookchat #allthebooks #lovetalkingbooks #talkingbooks #writerscave #lisacassidy #talkbooks

Guys, I did a thing! I created a Facebook group. I called it Lisa's Writer's...

🚀 Book Review - Skyward 🚀 . Loved this! In the style (sort of) of the Illuminae series, it's smart, witty, fast-paced, and has fantastic characters. I haven't read a Sanderson book in years (and that was Mistborn) and I wasn't expecting such a great, page turning, YA SciFi read. Spin is a great MC, smart and stubborn and sassy but flawed, and her AI spacehip M-Bot definitely steals the show (a bit like AIDAN, but in a different way). I inhaled this book in a couple of days and dropped other books on my tbr to go straight on to the sequel. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ stars from me #currentlyreading #bookstagram #books #reading #readerslife #booknerd #bookish #bookaholic #bookworm #booklover #bookaddict #booksaremybae #bookishglee #skyward #brandonsanderson #fantasyscifi #scififantasy #sciencefiction #lisacassidy #bookreview

🚀 Book Review - Skyward 🚀 . Loved this! In the style (sort of) of...

☀️ Book Review - She Who Became The Sun ☀️ I really enjoyed this historical fantasy! Zhu is a great, ruthless, character who definitely occupies the grey area of heroism. The world-building was fantastic, and the depth and nuance in the way relationships between characters are portrayed is brilliant. Historical stuff isn't usually my forte, even when it's a reimagining, but the great character work in this story really kept me hooked. Intrigued to see where Zhu's story goes in the next book #shewhobecamethesun #shellyparkerchan #aussieauthors #australianwriters #bookblogger #bookreview #historicalfantasy #fantasy #fantasyseries #booknerd #bookish #bookaholic #bookworm #booklover #bookaddict #booksaremybae #bookishglee #readerslife #reading #lockdownreads #lockdownreading

☀️ Book Review - She Who Became The Sun ☀️ I really enjoyed this historical...

Wooo, so much news this week! A Prince of Song and Shade has been released on audiobook. It's available pretty widely, but here are some of the usual places you can get it Amazon Audible Booktopia Kobo Once again, @daniellecohennarrator has done an absolutely amazing job. It sounds fantastic! . . . #audiobook #audiorelease #audiobookstagram #audiobooks #ataleofstarsandshadow #aprinceofsongandshade #lisacassidy #newrelease #epicfantasynovels #epicfantasy #epicfantasyseries #fantasyseries #fantasybookseries #audio #epicreads #fantasybooks

Wooo, so much news this week! A Prince of Song and Shade has been released...

7 October 2021 That's right, only 46 sleeps to go! In the meantime, feast your eyes on the cover for Mark of the Huntress. I hope you guys love it as much as I do 😍 . . . #coverart #coverreveal #cover #bookcover #heirtothedarkmage #markofthehuntress #lisacassidy #comingsoon #announcement #releasedate #magechronicles #yafantasy #yafantasyseries #yafantasybooks #epicfantasy #epicfantasyreads #epicfantasynovels

7 October 2021 That's right, only 46 sleeps to go! In the meantime, feast your...

Ohhhhh 🧐 Any guesses as to who's going to be on the cover? . . . . #lisacassidy #heirtothedarkmage #markofthehuntress #comingsoon #coverart #coverreveal #yafantasybooks #yafantasyseries #yafantasy #epicfantasyreads #epicfantasynovels #epicfantasy #notlongnow

Ohhhhh 🧐 Any guesses as to who's going to be on the cover? . ....

💜 Book Review - The Colour Purple 💜 . This felt a little bit like reading a book for high school English class. But having said that, I absolutely loved this read. The Color Purple is so beautifully written - Celie's voice just leaps off the page at you, rich with her struggles and triumphs... this story is often tragic, with some dark themes and subject matter, but with beautiful moments of hope. All the characters are deeply drawn, flawed, and distinct. This is one of these books you feel better for having read. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me QOTD: what is a book you had to read for school but ended up absolutely loving? . . . #thecolorpurple #alicewalker #bookreview #bookblogger #lisacassidy #bookstagram #books #reading #readerslife #booknerd #bookish #bookaholic #bookworm #booklover #bookaddict #booksaremybae #bookishglee #lockdownreading #lockdownreads

💜 Book Review - The Colour Purple 💜 . This felt a little bit like...

Canberra has gone into lockdown so I'll be hunkering down with my books, my @7.lsr coffee, and of course, my keyboard for the next little while! Hopefully it will be short and sweet, but for anyone getting a little stir crazy at home, feel free to hit me up here or on FB. I'm always happy to talk books or coffee 😉 Stay safe and keep well #lockdownlife #lockdown #canberralife #canberrasaturday #writerslife #writerofinstagram #writerslifeforme #booksandcoffee #writingandcoffee #lisacassidy #fantasyauthor

Canberra has gone into lockdown so I'll be hunkering down with my books, my @7.lsr...

Exciting news this morning!! A Prince of Song and Shade will be released on audio on 24 August 2021 😯🎉🎧 . . . #ataleofstarsandshadow #aprinceofsongandshade #audiobook #audiorelease #audiobooks #epicfantasy #epicfantasybooks #epicfantasyseries #lisacassidy #comingsoon #fantasyaudio #fantasyseries #fantasybookseries #fantasybooks #talyndynan #shadowhawk

Exciting news this morning!! A Prince of Song and Shade will be released on audio...

🐺 Book Review - Wolf Hall 🐺 . Not sure how to describe this one? It's historical fiction, which isn't normally a go-to read for me, BUT give me anything Tudor England and I'm there, so... The writing style of this one is as much a character as anything else in the book, with the author using the default 'he' as a dialogue tag for the narrator, meaning in a book full of male characters you're constantly re-setting as to who is actually talking in any bit of dialogue. Possibly not a style for everyone, but I enjoyed how it made me really focus on each page (I'm normally a speed reader, so this was quite an adjustment for me!). Overall the plot was a little too slow moving for my enjoyment (though it was very rich in detail so I can see why other readers loved it so much). ⭐⭐⭐ from me Q: What is your favourite historical fiction? . . . #currentlyreading #bookstagram #books #reading #readerslife #booknerd #bookish #bookaholic #bookworm #booklover #bookaddict #booksaremybae #bookishglee #historicalfiction #wolfhall #hilarymantel #lisacassidy #bookreview

🐺 Book Review - Wolf Hall 🐺 . Not sure how to describe this one?...

🗡️ Book Review - The Unbroken 🗡️ . This book started really well! I was immediately hooked by Touraine and Luca's stories - a good 'opposite sides of a conflict' dynamic - and the rich wordbuilding. I felt quickly immersed in the world of Qazal and would love to visit! However, the story got a little bogged down in the middle. The strong pacing of the first third faded as Touraine's character continued to flip flop back and forth in her motivations, which in some respects felt realistic, but didn't make it easy to relate to her (or stay engaged with the story). The writer does an excellent job in painting the shades of grey on both sides of the conflict in this one - the 'heroes' aren't particularly likeable, whereas Luca, an oppressor, is more so in many respects, but the slow middle never really resolved itself and I definitely found myself less hooked by the end. Not sure if I'll keep going when book 2 comes out, though I am intrigued to see what comes next. ⭐⭐⭐ for me #currentlyreading #bookstagram #books #reading #readerslife #booknerd #bookish #bookaholic #bookworm #booklover #bookaddict #booksaremybae #bookishglee #epicfantasy #epicfantasybooks #epicfantasyreads #epicfantasyseries #lisacassidy #theunbroken

🗡️ Book Review - The Unbroken 🗡️ . This book started really well! I was...

Snow dropping by to keep me company while I write this morning! ❄️❄️❄️ Winter. Is. Here. . . . #canberralife #canberrawinter #writerofinstagram #writerslifeforme #writerslife #canberrasaturday #saturdaymorning #winterishere #authorlife #snowday #snow #winter

Snow dropping by to keep me company while I write this morning! ❄️❄️❄️ Winter. Is....

Hi guys! Some pretty exciting stuff coming up @paperchainbookstore this month. The crew are kicking off 'After Dark' - their new science fiction and fantasy club. I love that @paperchainbookstore are looking to try and highlight books that many people may not have heard of, that are worth reading but perhaps haven’t gotten the attention they deserve. I also love the idea of creating a fun and engaging place where folks can talk about these books, the genre as a whole and what we all love about it. You can get all the deets on Paperchain's FB or Instagram page - the first event is kicking off on Friday 30 July at 7:30pm, with the incredible fantasy author @samhawkewrites in attendance. I'd love to see you at one of these events!! . . . . #fantasybooks #canberraevents #samhawke #paperchainbookstore #bookclub #exclusiveaccess #shewhobecamethesun #books #fantasyandsciencefiction #fantasyandscifi #afterdark #bookevents #canberralife

Hi guys! Some pretty exciting stuff coming up @paperchainbookstore this month. The crew are kicking...

Book Review - A Lair of Bones . I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this one from @helenscheuerer before its July release date. First up, I loved the world building in this one. Scheuerer has created a rich, intriguing and refreshingly different world where cyrens live underground in a city infused with haunting music played by captured humans. Roh is an interesting protagonist, a young cyren who is willing to do pretty much anything to get into the Queen's Tournament and compete to be the next queen. I didn't always like Roh, but she's a complex character and very well drawn. The supporting cast were great too, and motivations and backstories aren't always clear, which adds to the intrigue. I am keen for the next book already! ⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me This book comes out July 13 - only two more sleeps!!! . . . #helenscheuerer #lairofbones #aussieauthors #currentlyreading #bookstagram #books #reading #readerslife #booknerd #bookish #bookaholic #booklover #bookaddict #booksaremybae #bookishglee #fantasybooks #fantasybookseries #yafantasy #yabooks #epicreads #booksofinstagram #yabookstagram #bookreview #comingsoon #lisacassidy

Book Review - A Lair of Bones . I was lucky enough to receive an...

🦴 Book Review - The Bone Shard Daughter 🦴 . I picked this one up after hearing a lot of good things about it. I'm not sure why, but I was expecting a really detailed epic fantasy tome, and it turned out to be a much lighter read than I expected. Not that there isn't plenty of action and drama, but the characters and the voice weren't overly grim or dark, and there wasn't the amount of detailed work building I'd expected. This was NOT a bad thing at all. There was plenty enough information provided that I could easily understand the world these characters inhabit, and the differing characters' POVs were nuanced wonderfully. Animal characters often become unintentional stars of books for me, and that was definitely the case in this one. I adored Mephis!! There's also a great twist about two thirds of the way in that I saw coming, but really enjoyed when it played out. I am definitely keen to read on in this series. ⭐⭐⭐ for me . . QOTD: tell me your favourite read so far this year?? I'm in a bit of a reading slump at the moment and need something to snap me out of it! . . . #sundayreading #currentlyreading #bookstagram #books #reading #readerslife #booknerd #bookish #fantasybooks #fantasybookseries #lisacassidy #bookblogger #thebonesharddaughter #andreastewart #booksarelife

🦴 Book Review - The Bone Shard Daughter 🦴 . I picked this one up...

Waking up this morning... on a bit of a short writing retreat to get some much needed work done on book 3 of Heir to the Darkmage (while book 2 is with my editor) Happy Tuesday everyone!! . . . #writerslife #writing #authorlife #amwriting #writersofinstagram #fantasywriter #writeroffantasy #fantasyauthor #instaauthor #authorgram #authorsofig #authorlife #authorsofinstsgram #writingretreat #sapphirecoastnsw #tuesdayvibes #lisacassidy #heirtothedarkmage #countryretreat

Waking up this morning... on a bit of a short writing retreat to get some...

🔗 Book Review - Chain of Iron 🔗 . This is the second book in Clare's latest Shadowhunter series, the Last Hours. For the most part, I enjoyed this one far more than the first book in the series, but the ending really let it down for me. I didn't care for James and Cordelia's relationship at all in the first book (snore), but was pleasantly surprised to find Clare developing it in book 2 in a way I really enjoyed... until the end. One of my biggest reading bug bears is the plot doing far too many contortions just to keep characters apart. I can handle that to a degree - dramatic tension is fun, of course - but it gets to a point where rather than staying invested, I just give up, and that's where I'm at now with these characters. Having said that, I did really enjoy other parts of the story and will be keen to read the next book to see what happens. ⭐⭐⭐ for me QOTD: Shadowhunters fans, what did you think of this one? . . . #currentlyreading #bookstagram #books #reading #readerslife #booknerd #bookish #bookaholic #bookworm #booklover #bookaddict #booksaremybae #bookishglee #cassandraclare #shadowhunters #chainofiron #lisacassidy #lovereading

🔗 Book Review - Chain of Iron 🔗 . This is the second book in...

"Madam, you're complicating our night, so before we come in and complicate yours, kindly cork your bullshit bottle and close the gods-damned window!" Locke Lamora I read this one a while ago but it has one of my fav quotes ever! It's an icy-cold Friday here guys!! I'm about to make a cup of coffee and start working on edits for book 2 of Heir to the Darkmage. That's a pretty good day for me 😊 . QOTD: What is one of your favourite lines from a book? . . . #lockelamora #bookquotes #lisacassidy #writerslifeforme #writerslife #reading #friday #fridayvibes #winter #readerslife #amwriting #authorsofig #amwritingfantasy #authorlife #canberralife #quotes #lovereading

"Madam, you're complicating our night, so before we come in and complicate yours, kindly cork...

🗡️ Book Review - City of Stone and Silence 🗡️ . I enjoyed this continuation of Isoka's story, but I equally enjoyed the addition of her sister, Tori's, POV - perhaps even more so. It wasn't so much that Tori is a more interesting character (Isoka is still more compelling to me, as is her relationship with Meroe), but Tori's storyline felt a lot more engaging than Isoka's. A secret rebellion will always suck me in way more than characters wandering around strange lands trying to figure out what's going on. I also really liked the tension in Tori's story around the morality of using her particular magical power (the ability to influence minds) and trying to figure out the line between when it's 'ok' to use her ability and when it's not. There's rarely a right answer when wrangling with these kinds of questions, and I liked how the book handled it... though I'm wondering if there's a dark turn in Tori's future. Book three of the trilogy is already on my tbr! ⭐⭐⭐ for me QOTD: What was your fav read in May? Mine was Skyward by Brandon Sanderson #fantasybooks #fantasybookseries #yafantasy #yabooks #epicreads #booksofinstagram #yabookstagram #lisacassidy #bookblogger #epicfantasy #epicfantasybooks #epicfantasyreads #epicfantasyseries #djangowexler #saturdaymorning #bookstsgram #readerslife

🗡️ Book Review - City of Stone and Silence 🗡️ . I enjoyed this continuation...

🐍 Book Review - The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes 🐍 . I enjoyed this account of how a young Coriolanus Snow became the dark and evil President Snow in the Hunger Games trilogy. I always find it had to believe when stories have essentially good-hearted, hero-type, characters turn evil (Anakin Skywalker, anyone?) without providing a solid basis for how they changed, but Snow was never particularly good hearted. You could see right from the beginning (when he's about eighteen years old) the seeds of what he might turn out to be one day, and so I found his slow progression toward that quite believable. The end I thought was a little rushed - I really would have liked to see his final turn into 'evildom' play out a little more in depth rather than shoved into a few pages at the end... but despite that I bought what happened and felt a little shiver of darkness when I read it Apart from Snow, I enjoyed the other characters in the book, especially Lucy Grey, who brought out Snow's humanity but in the end wasn't enough to stop him turning into a villain. The book poses some interesting questions about control of a population versus war, offering the perspectives of why someone like Snow would crave authoritarian rule. It would be interesting to go back and read the Hunger Games now knowing this back story for Snow. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me QOTD: For those that have read it, what are your thoughts on how Meyer handled Snow's backstory? . . . #currentlyreading #bookstagram #books #reading #readerslife #booknerd #bookish #bookaholic #bookworm #booklover #bookaddict #booksaremybae #bookishglee #fantasybooks #fantasybookseries #yafantasy #yabooks #epicreads #booksofinstagram #yabookstagram #thehungergames #lisacassidy #bookblogger

🐍 Book Review - The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes 🐍 . I enjoyed this...

Winter has hit Canberra this morning with a balmy -5 degrees. But I am cozy warm in my study and cracking on with Book 2 of Heir to the Darkmage. . . . #sundaymornings #canberralife #writerslife #writersofinstagram #lisacassidy #heirtothedarkmage #nookandburrow #writingfantasy #writerslifeforme #coffeemug #coffeelife #coffeeandwriting #coffeeholic #mischiefmanaged #amwriting #amwritingfantasy #authorlife

Winter has hit Canberra this morning with a balmy -5 degrees. But I am cozy...

🐺 Book Review - Rule of Wolves 🐺 . I have been looking forward to this ever since I finished reading King of Scars. Despite how much I enjoyed the Six of Crows Duology, I loved King of Scars even more, my favourite so far of all Bardugo's books. From the first page of Rule of Wolves I was hooked I cannot tell you how much I adore Zoya as a character... I love her so much!! I really would have liked to see more of her POV here rather than adding additional POVs I cared about far less. Nikolai continues to be an entertaining read, and as with Zoya, I would have far preferred seeing more of him than the new additions. I also think I enjoyed Nina the most in this book than I have in any of the previous ones The ending ties up the various plot threads of this duology (and some lingering ones from other books in this world) in exciting and largely satisfying ways. I certainly didn't have any complaints about how any of the characters ended up - although the Darkling did kind of get lost there amidst everything else Bardugo had to balance. For fans of previous books in this world, there are some fun cameos from old favourites too (Kaz Brekker, anyone?) Overall - I give this one star less than King of Scars, mainly because of the dilution of Nikolai/Zoya's POVs, but it was a great ending to the duology. I also like how the end left open an intriguing premise for another Grishaverse story QOTD: who is your favourite Grishaverse character? Mine is Zoya, hands down! . . . #fantasybooks #fantasybookseries #yafantasy #yabooks #epicreads #booksofinstagram #yabookstagram #epicfantasy #epicfantasybooks #epicfantasyreads #epicfantasyseries #leighbardugo #grishaverse #ruleofwolves #zoyanazyalensky #nikolailantsov #shadowandbone #lisacassidy #bookblogger #bookstagram

🐺 Book Review - Rule of Wolves 🐺 . I have been looking forward to...

🏰 Book review - Wyntertide 🏰 . After enjoying Rotherweird so much, I dived straight into this book rather then going to the next book on my tbr, and I didn't regret it! I loved the return of all my favourite weird and wonderful characters from the first book (Gorhambury remains my number 1 fav!). The threat from Lost Acre deepens throughout this book, with a nemesis even cleverer than Veronal Slickstone reaching out from the past to put multiple dastardly pieces in motion. I am thoroughly disturbed by the mobilisation of the Alchemists, and am waiting to see how they play into things in book 3 As with Rotherweird, while I found the overall mystery interesting (although I admit most of the sciency stuff went right over my head), my main enjoyment in this book came from the random town events (like their version of Halloween). The town election playing out amidst the encroaching danger particularly hooked me in. Overall though, I felt the under-pinning plot was dragged a little out too much with our heroes doing very little to advance anything throughout most of the book... for that reason I'm giving it one less star than Rotherweird. Very keen to go on and read the final book in the series now! ⭐⭐⭐ from me Happy Weekend everyone 🥳 . . . #currentlyreading #bookstagram #books #reading #readerslife #booknerd #bookish #bookaholic #bookworm #booklover #bookaddict #booksaremybae #bookishglee #rotherweird #wyntertide #andrewcaldecott #lisacassidy #bookreview #bookblogger #saturdaymorning

🏰 Book review - Wyntertide 🏰 . After enjoying Rotherweird so much, I dived straight...

🏰 Book Review - Rotherweird 🏰 . A friend of mine recommended this to me, otherwise I would never have stumbled across it, and I'm so glad she did! I'm not sure where to even start with listing the things I liked so much about this book. It was such a fun read... a bit kooky, with a large cast of fascinating and quirky characters living in and around a mysterious town hiding a lot of dark secrets One of my favourite lines reads - 'Despite the gravity of the girl's situation, Boris Polk yelled 'yahoo' and 'bazoom' as they cut corners at speeds Gorhambury would have thought impossible' - it made me chuckle aloud The fussy town auditor - Gorhambury - is probably my favourite of all the characters, but even though there is a lot of head hopping between characters in this book, I never got bored with any of the POVs. They're all so interesting in their own ways (though sometimes I wanted to shake Oblong when he was being particularly useless) Rotherweird is a difficult book to describe, but if you like to read fantasy that's a bit unusual and super colourful and quirky, I highly recommend giving this one a go. It's the first book in a trilogy, and I'm definitely going on to read the next one. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me! . . QOTD: For those who have read this - who is your favourite character? They're all so fun! . . . #bookwormproblems #tbrpile #bookblogger #lisacassidy #rotherweird #fantasybooks #fantasybookseries #bookaholic #bookworm #booklover #bookaddict #booksaremybae #bookishglee #epicreads #booksofinstagram #bookreview

🏰 Book Review - Rotherweird 🏰 . A friend of mine recommended this to me,...

🔥 Book Review - A Court of Silver Flames 🔥 . Hmm, where to start with this one. My favourite thing about Maas' books is her ability to weave a story with so many layers that she never fails to bring together in glorious ways. Her skill with this always leaves me absolutely hooked as a reader and totally invested in the characters and their unfolding story. I can take or leave the explicitness of her sex scenes (not super necessary, and sometimes a bit gross, in my very subjective view) but her character work is usually great to sink into. A Court of Silver Flames was good, particularly the character stuff with Nesta recovering from trauma, but the plot itself didn't really hook me in. This was the first Maas book I've read that I wasn't eagerly turning over pages to see what happened next. The friendship between Nesta, Emerie, and Gwyn was the absolute highlight for me, as was Nesta learning to find herself. The rest of the characters were kinda.. meh... in this one? Rhys hiding things from Feyre for 'her own good' had me rolling my eyes HARD, and Cassian was lovely but kinda.. boring? Nothing really seemed to move forward for Azriel, Mor (who didn't appear in this one much at all), Amren or the others. I still enjoyed the book, just not as much as Maas' previous stories. 3 stars from me. . QOTD: What is your favourite Maas book? For me I think Crescent City, followed closely by Queen of Shadows . . #currentlyreading #bookstagram #books #reading #readerslife #booknerd #bookish #bookaholic #bookworm #booklover #bookaddict #booksaremybae #bookishglee #sarahjmaas #acourtofsilverflames #lisacassidy #bookblogger #epicreads

🔥 Book Review - A Court of Silver Flames 🔥 . Hmm, where to start...

I had an AMAZING time launching Heir to the Darkmage at @paperchainbookstore last night. Such a wonderful turnout! Thank you to everyone who came along - it was absolutely wonderful to see you all and sign your books. I even had one lovely person bring me some beautiful flowers!!! . This author is feeling pretty chuffed today 😊 . . . #booklaunch #authorsofig #authorlife #writerofinstagram #writerslife #writerslifeforme #lisacassidy #newrelease #heirtothedarkmage #themagechronicles #epicfantasy #yafantasy #yafantasybooks #booksigning

I had an AMAZING time launching Heir to the Darkmage at @paperchainbookstore last night. Such...

6 hours and counting till I get to hang out at my fav bookstore @paperchainbookstore and launch Heir to the Darkmage Excited? Me??? Ha! I'm totally chill right now #booklaunch #bookstore #canberraevents #canberralife #canberrabookstore #lisacassidy #authorlife #authorsofig #newrelease #newbooks #yafantasy #yafantasyseries #newseries #heirtothedarkmage

6 hours and counting till I get to hang out at my fav bookstore @paperchainbookstore...

HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY to Heir to the Darkmage! . I can't believe this book is out in the world already! I cannot wait for you all to read it and to hear what you think. You can order your ebook via Amazon (link in bio), or in print via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Booktopia or Book Depository. I'll also be officially launching at @paperchainbookstore tomorrow night at 6pm - and will be signing copies there. Can't wait! . . . #bookbirthday #bookrelease #newreleases #newrelease #newseries #lisacassidy #heirtothedarkmage #epicfantasy #yafantasybooks #yafantasy #yafantasyseries #lgbtqbooks #lgbtqfantasy #paperchainbookstore #epicfantasyreads

HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY to Heir to the Darkmage! . I can't believe this book is...

Only four more sleeps until Heir to the Darkmage is out!! Don't forget I'll be launching at @paperchainbookstore on Friday night at 6pm - I'll be signing books on the night and would LOVE to see you there! For those not in Canberra you can pre-order now too - link in my bio #newseries #newrelease #booklaunch #canberraevents #heirtothedarkmage #lisacassidy #comingsoon #paperchainbookstore #yafantasybooks #yabooks #yareads #epicfantasy #epicfantasybooks #fantasyauthor #fantasyseries #lqbtqreads #lgbtqbooks #yafantasy

Only four more sleeps until Heir to the Darkmage is out!! Don't forget I'll be...

🗡️ Book review - The Crimson Hunters 🗡️ . The latest from my favourite nemesis, @robertjpower, this book is a compilation of two of his previous novellas (The Crimson Hunters and The Crimson Hunted) into one novel. I was into this book right from the first page. Power's writing is just so entertaining, self-deprecating, and funny. I love that the main characters are a bunch of hapless mercenaries (at least at the beginning) with very few redeeming features. There are a LOT of battle scenes in this one, so be warned, but I found them entertaining and well thought out. If you like your writing clever, descriptive, and with plenty of amusing musings by the characters on the state of their lives/the battle/the gods, I highly recommend picking up this one. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me . . QOTD: What's on for your weekend? I'll be working away preparing for my book launch next week! . . . #robertjpower #thecrimsonhunters #currentlyreading #bookstagram #books #reading #readerslife #booknerd #bookish #bookaholic #bookworm #booklover #bookaddict #booksaremybae #bookishglee #fantasybooks #lisacassidy

🗡️ Book review - The Crimson Hunters 🗡️ . The latest from my favourite nemesis,...

🌊 Book review - Daughter of Flood and Fury 🌊 . Daughter of Flood and Fury is the latest new release from my fellow 2019 SPFBO finalist Levi Jacobs. If you enjoy YA epic fantasy, this is definitely a book for you. It has all the good stuff from that genre - a cool and kick-butt MC, a dangerous enemy, intriguing conspiracies, and a hint of romance. I enjoyed this one from beginning to end, and the pacing was great so that I never got bored. I found the two kinds of magic in this world super interesting - the ability to use water and blood in fascinating (and slightly terrifying) ways. I am definitely looking forward to the release of the next book in the series. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me . . . . #fantasybooks #fantasybookseries #yafantasy #yabooks #epicreads #booksofinstagram #yabookstagram #epicfantasy #epicfantasybooks #epicfantasyreads #epicfantasyseries #lisacassidy #bookblogger #levijacobs #daughteroffloodandfury #yafantasybooks #yafantasy

🌊 Book review - Daughter of Flood and Fury 🌊 . Daughter of Flood and...

Whoop, I'm going to be doing a real live physical launch for Heir to the Darkmage..and at one of my absolute fav Canberra bookstores @paperchainbookstore I'm SO EXCITED 23 April 2021 - 6pm I would LOVE to see you all there!!! . . . #booklaunch #releasedate #bookrelease #bookreleaseparty #heirtothedarkmage #lisacassidy #themagechronicles #liraastor #paperchainbookstore #epicfantasyreads #epicfantasy #yafantasybooks #yafantasyseries #yafantasy

Whoop, I'm going to be doing a real live physical launch for Heir to the...

🌊 Book Review - The Dark Tide 🌊 . This was a quick, entertaining, read. The story revolves around the impending doom of an island about to be drowned under a massive tide... unless the queen sacrifices her true love by drowning them. This is a tradition that has occurred with previous queens whenever such a tide threatens. Quite morbid, really, but there you go. In this iteration, Queen Eva is a witch, her sister having died to prevent the previous killer tide - and she has no interest in loving anyone or sacrificing herself. The population of the town has no ability to control their fate, basically relegated to sitting around and hoping their queen drowns their love to save them. When Eva kidnaps Lina as part of a bargain Lina strikes to save the boy she (thinks) she loves, the inevitable occurs, but Lina and Eva are great, kick-butt, heroines with complex motivations, and I really enjoyed their story as it unfolded. Overall, though, I would have really liked a little more depth to this story to explore the characters' motivations and dilemmas a little more thoroughly. ⭐⭐⭐ from me . . . #yabooks #epicreads #booksofinstagram #yabookstagram #currentlyreading #bookstagram #books #reading #readerslife #booknerd #bookish #lgbtqbooks #epicfantasy #epicfantasybooks #lgbtqfantasy #lgbtqreads #lisacassidy #bookblogger #thedarktide #aliciajasinska

🌊 Book Review - The Dark Tide 🌊 . This was a quick, entertaining, read....

🪙 Book Review - Queen of Coin and Whispers 🪙 . Political intrigue - that's the core of this story, and I really enjoyed it. Lia is a newly ascended queen who must deal with a court who strongly favoured her wasteful uncle as king and is limited in the authority she's able to wield by a power sharing arrangement with a parliament. Xania is chosen as Lia's Whispers - essentially her spy master. The book unfolds from there through a series of secret meetings, court machinations, murders, and double dealing as Lia and Xania try to improve things for their people but are challenged at every turn. The romance is a strong thread running through this one too. The ending felt a little abrupt for me, an epilogue serving to explain things that I would have been interested in seeing play out, but overall I really enjoyed this one and would recommend. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ stars from me QOTD: Guys, I still haven't had a five star read this year, and I'm very sad about it!! Any amazing recs you can throw my way? . . . #currentlyreading #bookstagram #books #reading #readerslife #booknerd #bookish #bookaholic #bookworm #booklover #bookaddict #booksaremybae #bookishglee #lgbtqbooks #lgbtqreads #lgbtqrepresentation #lisacassidy #bookblogger #funreading

🪙 Book Review - Queen of Coin and Whispers 🪙 . Political intrigue - that's...

Woot woot, I have an exciting announcement to make today. It's something that has been in development for a while.... A Tale of Stars and Shadow will be coming to audiobook format in 2021!!!! Cue the trumpets and confetti 🎷🎉 🎼🎧 . . . #audiobooks #audiorelease #audiobook #audiobookstagram #ataleofstarsandshadow #talyndynan #shadowhawk #lisacassidy #epicfantasyreads #epicfantasybooks #epicfantasy #epicfantasyseries #tantor

Woot woot, I have an exciting announcement to make today. It's something that has been...

⚡ Book review - The Black Witch ⚡ . I've been wanting to read this one for quite some time, and finally got around to doing it. I'm glad I did. Laurie Forest weaves a fantastic YA epic fantasy tale with a myriad of cultures, characters, religions, and worlds. The world building is rich and the characters are diverse. There is a lot of messaging in this book about racism, sexism, prejudice, and ignorance, and it's not subtle. I enjoyed having such issues tackled head on via our main character Elloren, a rather innocent and naive sort who's never questioned anything she was raised to believe, and who is suddenly thrown into a melting pot of diverse cultures when she goes to university. I'm interested to keep reading more of this one. ⭐⭐⭐ from me Happy weekend everyone!! . . #fantasybooks #fantasybookseries #yafantasy #yabooks #epicreads #booksofinstagram #yabookstagram #epicfantasy #epicfantasybooks #epicfantasyreads #epicfantasyseries #bookstagram #laurieforest #theblackwitch #theblackwitchchronicles #lisacassidy #weekendreads #lovereading #books

⚡ Book review - The Black Witch ⚡ . I've been wanting to read this...

🌳 Book Review - Uprooted 🌳 . This was a lovely read - a beautifully done fairy tale. The story starts off with a 'girl taken off to the tower by a bad-ish guy' plot, but gradually expands from there to include a much bigger, wider, world and battles between kings and wizards. Agnieszka is a fantastic main character, compassionate and warm, but also tough as nails and with plenty of agency. The Dragon becomes more and more interesting as the book progresses, and I really enjoyed him as a character too. Always anchoring the story is the gorgeous fairy-tale vibe, and Novik does this beautifully. 3 stars from me . QOTD: what is your favourite fairy tale?? . . . #currentlyreading #bookstagram #books #reading #readerslife #booknerd #bookish #bookaholic #bookworm #booklover #bookaddict #booksaremybae #bookishglee #naominovik #uprooted #lisacassidy #bookblogger

🌳 Book Review - Uprooted 🌳 . This was a lovely read - a beautifully...

I'm so excited to bring you a cover reveal today!!! Behold.... . . 🤞🤞🤞 you guys like it as much as I do!! . I can't believe we're already only a month away from the release date of a brand new series! Heir to the Darkmage is now available for pre-order - link in bio Have a great weekend! #lisacassidy #themagechronicles #alyxegalion #mageofthehigherorder #darkskullhall #liraastor #heirtothedarkmage #fantasybooks #fantasybookseries #yafantasy #yabooks #epicreads #comingsoon #coverart #coverreveal #preorder #preordernow #lgbtqreads #youngadultbooks #fantasycover

I'm so excited to bring you a cover reveal today!!! Behold.... . . 🤞🤞🤞 you...

🌸 Book review - Thorn of the Night Blossoms 🌸 . This one is a novella, so was a nice, quick, read one afternoon when I just wanted to curl up in my chair for a couple of hours reading. The plot moves very quickly, and at the beginning I was a bit disoriented because there were so many names to keep track of and the reader is pretty much dropped into an existing world. Still, I found my feet quickly and kept turning pages. Jia was a fun character, an assassin posing as a prostitute in a pleasure house while also looking after the other assassins from her order posted in the city. The intrigue was high and engaging. This novella is a prequel to @jc.kang Dragon Song's Saga, which I haven't read (but will now!). I suspect readers of that series would get even more out of this one. ⭐⭐⭐.5 from me QOTD: what has your favourite read of 2021 bern do fsr Book review - Thorn of the Night Blossoms . This one is a novella, so was a nice, quick read one afternoon when I just wanted to curl up in my chair for a couple of hours reading. The plot moves very quickly, and at the beginning I was a bit disoriented because there were so many names to keep track of and the reader is pretty much dropped into an existing world. Still, I found my feet quickly and kept turning pages. Jia was a fun character, an assassin posing as a prostitute in a pleasure house while also looking after the other assassins from her order posted in the city. The intrigue was high and engaging. This novella is a prequel to Kang's Dragon Song's Saga, which I haven't read. I suspect readers of that series would get even more out of this one. ⭐⭐⭐.5 stars from me QOTD: what is your favourite read of 2021 so far? I've yet to have a five star read 😢 . . . #currentlyreading #bookstagram #books #reading #readerslife #booknerd #bookish #bookaholic #bookworm #booklover #bookaddict #booksaremybae #bookishglee #fantasybooks #fantasybookseries #yafantasy #yabooks #epicreads #booksofinstagram #yabookstagram #lisacassidy #bookblogger

🌸 Book review - Thorn of the Night Blossoms 🌸 . This one is a...