To Kill a Kingdom is a fantasy standalone done right. Even better, it is so much more than I had envisioned!
REBEL OF THE SANDS by Alwyn Hamilton
The first 200 pages were not written well. I was bored and felt growing discomfort with the mangled Middle Eastern culture this fantasy book was premised on. At least the next 150 odd pages picked up a little in terms of plot and also storytelling, so I didn’t end up thoroughly hating Rebel of the Sands. Still, this book has so many problems, I’m relieved I didn’t order the sequels before finishing this one first.
WINDFALL by Jennifer E. Smith
Windfall is a book that’s bound to appeal to fans of slow burn romance. There’s no love at first sight, but feelings that Alice harboured for years on end. Friendships came first, which I enjoyed, and all that followed unfolded at good pace. I have to say, of the four books I’ve read by Jennifer E. Smith, Windfall is my favourite so far. The character development was solid, even if the characters themselves weren’t the most likeable.
