Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

This book is as amazing as everyone is saying it is!

I was lucky enough to be chosen as part of the blog tour for this book and received a gifted copy for a review. 

Inspired by Natasha Ngan's Malaysian background, this book is brimming with different cultures represented by different caste systems.  There are three castes - Moon (full demons representing different animals) Steel (half human and half animal demons) and Paper (humans). The fantasy world is ruled by the Moon caste, with the Demon King at the forefront. The Paper caste is the lowest of the low, left to do all the menial work and treated like slaves. The Demon King is feared by all and rules this kingdom with ferocity and evil. Every year, the Demon King is presented with eight Paper girls who are his concubines, whether they want to be or not. Lei, the girl with the golden eyes, finds herself ripped from her family and made to be part of this group. 

Lei is a brilliant character, who fuelled by the loss of her mother is determined to make a change. She will not become what the Demon King wants her to be. Bolstered by her new found friends, she fights back at the system. I loved the growing relationship between Wren and Lei, in fact I'd say Wren was my favourite character in the whole book. 

The story is action packed from the very first chapter. There were times when I couldn't breathe as I rooted for Lei to overcome the horrors she was subjected to. At times, this book is difficult to read. The abuse suffered is intense but luckily not to graphic, which would make this book suitable for the Young Adult community. There are so many unexpected twists and turns that you don't see coming. The last page has opened up the possibility of a second book, which I am delighted about. I desperately want to know what happens next. A war has begun and cannot be left without some form of future victory. 

The world building is actually phenomenal and truly believable. The detailed descriptions really bring the story to life. The research alone, must have taken a long time. I love the intricate details about the palace, the grounds, the clothes as well as the delicacies they ate. The book reminded me of  Memoirs of a Geisha, but with the added fantasy flavour. 

This book is an LGBT/POC  masterpiece as it doesn't make a point of it. It's all extremely natural and blended so well into the story.  I am amazed at how well Natasha has taken topical and relevant issues from our present day and blended them into a high fantasy novel. 

From reading the preface and acknowledgements, it's very clear that this wasn't an easy book to write. By the sounds of it, the author suffered for her triumph. I previously read Natasha's first book and I have to say, this is the best book she has ever written. It's like she has finally found her own unique fantasy world and now stands shoulder to shoulder with authors such as Sarah J. Maas, Laini Taylor and my personal favourite, Leigh Bardugo. This book has movie deal stamped all over it. I really think this book will take Natasha to new heights within her writing journey. 

This book is a keeper. One for the personal collection that will be read and reread and loved all over again every single time. 

This review is part of the Girls of Paper and Fire blog tour. If you don't believe my review, catch up with all the other stops on the tour. If you want to win a copy, head over to @Shadowkitteh123 on Instagram to win one. Tomorrow the blog tour stop with Once Upon a Bookcase, so make sure you visit. 

Alex in Wonderland by Simon James Green

Oh my goodness! Where do I start on how blooming wonderful this book is! It has so many amazing qualities. If anyone thought Simon James Green might find it difficult to create a character as awesome as Noah, this book most certainly smashes that idea out of the water. 

Alex is a warm hearted, romantic, yet terribly clumsy and awkward sixteen year old, who is struggling with the new relationship between his two best friends. Feeling left out, he envisages an empty summer without anything to do. All that changes when he accidentally lands a job at Wonderland, an extremely run down amusement arcade. With the job, comes a new set of friends and the possibility of a romance. However, it isn't all summer loving, as someone wants to see the end of Wonderland for good. Alex sets out with his new buddies to become a super sleuth and find out who is behind all the trouble. 

I loved Alex! Alex has a unique voice, which makes him even outshine Noah. He's really confused about his feelings for Ben, his new work colleague, who just so happens to have a girlfriend. His clumsiness is the stuff of legends. The scene where he nearly knocks himself out and lands in pee, making it look like he wet himself is priceless. It was so lovely to see the realistic uncertainty that teenagers always have along with the cringe worthy antics, we all try to pretend never happened when we were teens. There is no insta love in this book, just real slow progressing two steps forward and one step back romance. Just how it should be written. LGBT readers will love this book just as much as everyone else, because there is no negativity surrounding the growing feelings between Ben and Alex. It's just a heartwarming romance book, which is want the teenagers want. 

The book is hilarious. And I mean, aching ribs and unable to breathe hilarious! I was reading a seriously funny scene during a quiet library lesson and I had to bite my hand to stop myself from bursting out with laughter. It's the funniest book I've read in years. 

Wonderland is a character in itself. A wistful one, that will have you yearning for you childhood days of traditional British seaside days out. The Mirror Maze, the slot machines and corny exhibitions will bring back fond memories. I strolled back in time and lost myself in the story. 

Some of the language and sexual references would make me probably direct the book towards the older teenage market, rather than the younger ones, but it is one I'd definitely put on our LGBT display at school as I know it will be frequently taken out. 

I'm now eager to see what Simon James Green writes next. He has such a unique voice that will have the teenagers craving more. 

This book is a huge slice of summery nostalgic happiness!

A Day in the Life of a Writer by Liz Flanagan

To celebrate the publication of Dragon Daughter, I'm pleased to welcome author, Liz Flanagan, as part of the blog tour for the book. 

I think one of the most useful things a writer can do is work out what times of day are most productive for them personally - if they’re a lark or an owl. I’ve always been very clear that I’m not an evening person! My day starts quite early as my children have to leave for buses at a shockingly early hour, and then I walk the dog. 

I always say that all writers should try dog-owning or dog-borrowing at least, because whenever I get stuck with a story or a plotting idea, I take my dog for a walk, and by the time I get home an hour later, I always have a solution. There’s probably a technical neuro-scientific explanation for this, how the brain often comes up with ideas or solutions when you’re not looking directly at the problem, but keeping the body busy with chores or motion. Anyway, it definitely works for me, and some of my best ideas happen when dog-walking or washing-up! 

I try to get to my desk by 9am latest, earlier if I can, and there must be coffee! In an ideal world, I might have the whole morning to work on my writing or my edits, but in practice, I’ll be switching between tasks - emailing, scheduling, invoicing, booking travel, planning my teaching or marking - but even a clear hour or two for writing is great. 

I used to think I could only write if I was in a quiet room with a closed door, with childcare in place, and several hours stretching ahead of me. Last year I tried the #100DaysOfWriting challenge which I first noticed when Jenn Ashworth tracked her challenge two years ago, posting photos on social media. Her pictures were reassuringly normal - she was writing in a busy family house, at work, etc. 

This encouraged me to try it too. The point of the challenge is not to hit a certain word count, but simply to show up every day and to try to fall back in love with your project, posting images of your journey and encouraging others who might be doing the same. 

I have to say it was a revelation! I ended up writing for little snatches of time, from ten minutes to (occasionally!) a few hours. I wrote on trains, in cafes, in my office at work, in bed often, in hotel rooms, in the houses of friends and family. This showed me that I could actually make the most of the smallest slice of time available, but that showing up every day made a massive difference, kept the momentum going, and kept me engaged with the project. By the end of the hundred days, I had a really rough first draft. And it was rough - another effect of the challenge was to keep me focusing forwards, not editing very much as I went along. This year, I’m not writing every day, but the experience showed me something really valuable, about being flexible and trying to keep the momentum going. 

By midday in a typical week, I hope to have done some writing, and then my pace switches a bit. I have a child with special educational needs, who isn’t at school full-time, and afternoons often have appointments or childcare commitments, but on a good day, I might get another hour or two at some point before the working day is done. 

I’m trying to get better at leaving emails and admin tasks to the afternoon when my creative brain is more tired, but it’s a challenge for me. I’m such a Virgo - I like to meet deadlines and tick boxes and get things done. 

On a rare day, when I’m on a writing retreat perhaps, I might get to write in the 4-6pm time slot, which I’ve discovered is another one of my most creative times of day - though usually I’ve switched to parenting or cooking tasks by then! 

I’ve discovered there is little point trying to write in the evenings - my brain just doesn’t work that way. But I love reading widely - I seem to be having a glorious year of reading some of the superb middle-grade fiction out there just now - and I might curl up with a book when the children are in bed, if I’m not watching something on TV. I think reading counts as writerly work, even when it’s such a joy. 

How is your writing day? I always like to compare notes and hear suggestions - please do let me know what you think! I can be reached via Lizflanagan.co.uk or on Twitter: @lizziebooks

Dragon Daughter is published by David Fickling Books

ISBN: 978-1-78845-021-8

£6.99

Cover art by Angelo Rinaldi

Interior art by Paul Duffield

The Power of Words by Julie Pike

Today on the blog, I'm pleased to welcome Julie Pike, author of The 

Last Breather, as part of the blog tour to celebrate publication. 

Do you remember this old saying? 

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. 

Have you ever chanted it? I remember chanting it many times when 

I was growing up, particularly at my brother! (And he, of course, 

would say the same to me.)

As with all old sayings, it has a message to tell us. It says, ignore 

the barbs and taunts of bullies. It says, words are only thoughts or 

made of breath, they don’t have physical substance, they can’t hurt

 you.

The thing is … it’s not true and never has been. Words do have the

 power to hurt and they can be relentless. And unlike wounds from 

sticks and stones, if we believe them, the scars from words

 sometimes never heal.

When I came to write The Last Spell Breather, I wanted to create a

 magical page turning adventure. I wanted the story to have the 

most powerful magic I could think of. So I wondered, ‘what if…?’.

 What if there was a world where words have REAL power and 

their magic can be seen?  And from there I went on to imagine the

 world of Spell Breathers.

I’ve been fortunate to have some lovely early reviews for The Last

 Spell Breather.I’m delighted when reviewers remark on the 

uniqueness of the magic system. But I’ll let you into a secret, I 

didn’t really invent the magic. The thing about words is, they really

 are magic.

Over the years I’ve felt their power. I know words can hurt. And I 

also know words can heal. The most powerful magic lies in the 

words we tell ourselves, because those are the words we believe the

 most.

If you’ve met me, you’ll probably be surprised to learn that I have a 

phobia when it comes to speaking in public. (Ah careful with the 

word-magic there, Julie. You don’t havea phobia. You had a 

phobia.)

My subconscious used to whisper the Spell of Unworthiness in my

 ear. It used to say ‘no-one’s interested in my opinion. What I have

 to say doesn’t matter. I’m rubbish at this, I may as well stop 

talking.’ Those words hurt. 

Because I believed them, speaking in public (for my job) led to 

panic attacks. After a while I became so anxious I had problems 

speaking at all, never mind speaking in public. 

I couldn’t go on like that. Things had to change. I forced myself to 

face my fears about speaking, instead of running away from them.

 (Which took a lot longer than that short sentence would suggest). 

I’m so glad I did, because in doing so I learned that words can be 

wonderful healers. I’m not talking about ‘fake it to make it’ (though

 that can be useful sometimes). I’m talking about opening myself 

up to the possibilities of new truths. I’m talking about finding new

 words to think about myself. New words I actually believe. 

These days, when the old phobia starts to stir, my subconscious 

whispers the Spell of You Can Do Thisin my ear. It says ‘this will 

be interesting. My opinions will add to the collective. I’m great at 

this, so get in there and start talking.’ These words drown out my 

old thoughts and heal the scars they left behind.

Good job really because this author malarkey comes with a boat

 load of public speaking. I absolutely don’t want to miss the chance

 to meet brilliant readers because I’m running in the other direction!

There’s another old saying, ‘write what you know.’ When I came to 

invent the magic system for my story, I knew words can hurt, and 

words can heal. And that’s why you’ll find both types of word-

magic in The Last Spell Breather. 

But I don’t want to give away plot spoilers! Suffice to say …

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words … 

that’s a whole different story. 

P.S. If you’re ever in the audience at one of my author events, my

 old public speaking phobic self would greatly appreciate plenty of

 enthusiastic clapping, and if you’re in the mood, a few whoops and 

cheers!  I’ve learned from experience, that’s absolutely guaranteed 

to keep me talking 😊

 Synopsis

Enter the unique world of the Spell Breathers! Spell Breathing does

 not come naturally to Rayne - she loathes the hours of practice, the

 stacks of scrolls, and the snapping mud grotesques that cover her 

mother’s precious spell book. When she holds the spell book over a

 fire, it is only meant as an empty threat - until she feels the

 grotesque’s tiny teeth biting into her finger and lets go. In one 

clumsy move, her moth’s spells are broken, her village is plunged

 into danger, and an incredible adventure begins . . .

Biography

Julie grew up on a council estate, nestled between the forests and 

foothills of the Welsh Valleys. She is passionate about adventure 

stories, and volunteers in local schools and libraries in Dorset, 

helping children find stories that excite them. She is passionate 

about real-life adventures too, and has crawled inside the great 

pyramid of Giza, travelled to the peak of Kilimanjaro, and camped 

on the Great Wall of China in a lightning storm.

Twitter: @juliepike

To find out more about the book, check out the other stops on the blog tour listed below. 

The Little Book of Sewing by Karen Ball

What an utter delight this book is! I used to really enjoy sewing, but fell a little out of love with it, every time something went disastrously wrong. But Karen Ball's Little Book of Sewing made me fall back in love with it, because it is written with such warmth, humour and inspiration, you feel like Karen's right by your side, guiding you through the tough times. 

The book is gorgeous to look at. It is big enough to fit in your pocket, so easily one you can pop in your sewing bag and take to sewing classes or groups with you. It has an adorable feel to the hardback cover too and the artwork is simply perfect. 

The book is set out in seven different chapters, which deal with not only aspects of sewing, but also learning to love your body image and dealing with mental health. In fact, these were my favourite two chapters. I love the bit about naked sewing! Karen makes you feel good about the way you look and how you need to embrace it and create clothes that make you feel amazing. Karen talks about really looking at your body, which is something I've always avoided, but we are all unique and we need to embrace the way we look, because it would be a weird world if we all looked the same. 

I love the idea of mindful sewing. Karen talks about how a repetitive meditative activity, such as sewing can help reduce stress and anxiety. And it's so true. When you lose yourself in an action that you have to think about, you don't have time to dwell on the stresses and strains of life. 

The book is filled with useful snippets of information, alongside inspiring quotes and advice from sewing bloggers. 

This book really makes you feel good about yourself in so many different ways. It is the perfect accompaniement to Karen's highly successful sewing blog, Did You Make That and one to be treasured and turned to when in need of a pick me up. I've read a lot of mindfulness books and this one is just as brilliant, but with the added bonus of taking up a new hobby.