Review: Evie and the Upside-Down World of Nevermore by Birgitte Märgen

Evie and the Upside-Down World of Nevermore by Birgitte Märgen
Self-Published

Publication Date: January 4th, 2019

Ebook. 272 pages

About Evie and the Upside-Down World of Nevermore:

"AFTER FALLING INTO a dark hole when she was running through the forest, Evie finds herself trapped in a strange new world that mirrors our own. Her only guide is a compass stick given to her by an angry gnome who lives in an ancient knobby tree. As she travels through the lands of this upside-down world she happens upon creatures that are twisted versions of fairytale folklore. A place where fairies bite, unicorns charge, mermaids are menacing, and nightmares are more than dreams. A world where the souls of those who could not follow the unspoken rules are trapped forever. 

As a southern girl born on the wrong side of the tracks, Evie relies on the wisdom passed down by her grandpappy and the haunting memories of her mama to teach her perseverance of the soul. She learns that things are rarely what they seem as her world is turned upside down."

Evie and the Upside-Down World of Nevermore is an imaginative delight of a novel that combines a myriad of storytelling elements to create a unique and unforgettable story.

The world-building in this book is one of the best parts due its sheer expansiveness and Märgen's ability to bring everything to life in such vivid and creative ways. I loved all of the different fairytale-esque types of creatures and the similarly inspired area that were a part of this expansive and intricate world. I appreciated how much time and care Märgen put into developing her world as something that was realized and full of life.

The main issues I had with this book that prevented me from rating it higher has to do with the characters. I loved Evie and most of the other characters that we come across in the story, but I felt that the development was lacking in Evie's overall character. I would have loved to learn more about Evie and some of the other characters by diving deeper into their motivations and thoughts and seeing them grow more throughout the story. We do get to see a lot of Evie's internal thoughts since much of this journey is undertaken on her own, but I still felt that there was just a little missing.

As much as I enjoyed all of the various plot elements and obstacles that Evie ran into along the way, there were times when the story felt slightly formulaic and repetitive in how she handled them. This didn't take away too much of my enjoyment because it's something that I come across in a lot of fantasy books, but it does still stand out to me at times. The overarching goal still shone through overall and I loved following Evie as she reached the end of her story and as she was able to figure out everything that was thrown at her.

The pacing of Evie and the Upside-Down World of Nevermore was a pleasantly steady one that had a great combination of quicker, action-heavy moments with those of quiet contemplation within Evie's inner dialogue. There were times where I could see it being described as moving slowly, but I enjoyed these parts and therefore didn't have any difficulty with them. I found the prose itself perfect for middle grade readers, though I'm sure adults alike could enjoy this one as I did.

Overall, I've given Evie and the Upside-Down World of Nevermore 3.5 stars (rounded up to four on Goodreads)! If you're looking for an imaginative middle grade read, then I highly recommend you check this one out.

*I received a copy of Evie and the Upside-Down World of Nevermore courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating or enjoyment of the novel.*

Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

Anticipated Releases: October 2019

A new month means new releases! As always, there are more than I could ever possibly hope to read and I didn't even fit them all on this post, but nonetheless here are some books I'm really looking forward to that come out next month! I always expect there to be more spooky releases in October than there actually are, but these still all sound fantastic. Let me know what books you're looking forward to reading--or have already read!

Angel Mage by Garth Nix || October 1st -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo || October 8th -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

A Lush and Seething Hell by John Horner Jacobs || October 8th -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky || October 1st -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith || October 1st -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound - review coming soon!

Crier's War by Nina Varela || October 1st -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

The Memory Thief by Lauren Mansy || October 1st -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

The Never Tilting World Rin Chupeco || October 15th -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

The Rosewater Redemption by Tade Thompson || October 15th -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound -- review coming soon!

Beyond the Black Door by A.M. Strickland || October 29th -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

Curious Toys by Elizabeth Hand || October 15th -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia || October 8th -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

Fireborne by Rosaria Munda || October 15th -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

Into the Crooked Place by Alexandra Christo || October 8th -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

The Vine Witch by Luanne G. Smith || October 1st -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

Gravemaidens by Kelly Coon || October 29th -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

Supernova Era by Cixin Liu || October 2nd -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

The Light at the Bottom of the World by London Shah || October 29th -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

The Queens of Animation by Nathalia Holt || October 22md -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

Escaping Exodus by Nicky Drayden || October 8th -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

The End and Other Beginnings: Stories from the Future by Veronica Roth|| October 1st -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

A River of Royal Blood by Amanda Joy || October 29th -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett || October 8th -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys || October 1st -- Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

What are your anticipated October releases?

Review: The Last Astronaut by David Wellington

The Last Astronaut by David Wellington

Orbit

Publication Date: July 23rd, 2019

Paperback. 400 pages

About The Last Astronaut:

"Sally Jansen was NASA’s leading astronaut, until a mission to Mars ended in disaster. Haunted by her failure, she lives in quiet anonymity, convinced her days in space are over. 

She’s wrong. 

A large alien object has entered the solar system on a straight course toward Earth. It has made no attempt to communicate and is ignoring all incoming transmissions. 

Out of time and out of options, NASA turns to Jansen. For all the dangers of the mission, it’s the shot at redemption she always longed for. 

But as the object slowly begins to reveal its secrets, one thing becomes horribly clear: the future of humanity lies in Jansen’s hands."

The Last Astronaut is an addictive sci-fi first contact thriller that I sped through in my desperation to find out what would happen next. The concept and exploration elements of this book were brilliant, although the execution felt a bit lacking at times in regards to character development and certain plot elements. However, this is a story that begs to be read and the alien components were some of the most interesting I've read in a while.

As mentioned, I have some pretty mixed feelings about this one. I loved the themes and the direction Wellington took the story in regards to alien contact and how the humans were able to interact with then, however, I didn't love the writing style of the book or many of the characters. Wellington employed a rather jumpy narrative style that led to inconsistent pacing and left me a little confused at times. Within this style, however, Wellington still managed to convey a sense of urgency and 'what happens next' atmosphere that works to up the intensity of the story, which left me feeling really confused about whether I liked what I was reading or not at times.

Starting with the characters, my biggest issue with them was simply that I had very little interest in any of them. As I've mentioned in reviews before, I don't need to feel connected with a character in order to like them or the book, but there needs to be some sort of compelling force or personality trait about them that draws me to them and unfortunately there just wasn't in any of the characters in this book. Sally, for instance, is the most prominent characters who is returning after a sort of 'retirement' after a failed mission to lead this mission to check out the aliens. Moving past my skepticism over choosing her in the first place (we'll get to that later), her personality was hard to get behind and felt too stubborn and inconsistent at times. She repeatedly felt as though this wasn't a mission she could do and  had so much anxiety about it, but then when confronted with a dangerous situation she stubbornly threw herself into it because of her inability to handle yet another failed mission. I understand how hard that situation would be for her and I wouldn't want to risk another failure either, but I just felt annoyed with her decisions and how she handled things with her crew.

The rest of the characters have distinct personalities from one another, which I appreciated, but outside of that they didn't really stand out to me overly much. I thought some of their interactions felt awkward and unnatural and I often questioned their ability/worthiness to be on this mission in the first place. They were each specialists, but I felt like they didn't know enough about the general basics and safety rules weren't always followed. There were times when one of the characters would have a thought or make a comment about something that felt so incredibly irrelevant or rash that I just wanted to shake them a little and bring them back to reality. It was a bit of a ragtag group that just didn't seem to be the best equipped for the journey, which I do understand was part of the point in showing just how much space exploration had been neglected and whatnot, but it just made the entire premise a bit difficult to swallow.

Outside of those issues, I loved the alien contact. Wellington played with some ideas and directions that I haven't seen before and I found it so interesting and that felt entirely plausible in ways (especially some of the more scientific theories that the characters came up with).

Overall, I've given The Last Astronaut 3.25 stars! I know I mentioned a lot of negatives about this book, but if you like space books/alien exploration/first contact then I do still think you would really enjoy this! The characters aren't great and the format can be off-putting, but the first contact aspect was just fascinating. If you need strong characters, then this might not be the best fit.

*I received an ARC of The Last Astronaut courtesy of Orbit books in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating or enjoyment of the novel.*

Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Deeplight by Frances Hardinge & A Lush and Seething Hell by John Hornor Jacobs

 

Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! This meme is based off of Jill @ Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday meme.

This week's upcoming book spotlights are: 

Deeplight by Frances Hardinge
Publication: October 31st, 2019

MacMillan Children's

Hardcover. 416 pages.

Pre-order: Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

From Goodreads:

"For centuries the gods of the Undersea ruled the islands of the Myriad through awe and terror: they were very real, and very dangerous. Sacrifices were hurled into the waters to appease them, and every boat was painted with pleading eyes to entreat their mercy. They were served, feared and adored. Then, thirty years ago, the gods rose up in madness and tore each other apart. 

Now, none remain. The islands have recovered and the people have patched their battered ships and moved on. 

On one of these islands live Hark and his best friend Jelt. To them, the gods are nothing but a collection of valuable scraps to be scavenged from the ocean and sold. 

But now something is pulsing beneath the waves, calling to someone brave enough to retrieve it."

I adore Frances Hardinge and am so excited for Deeplight! This synopsis sounds so unique and I have no idea what to really expect (other than Hardinge's stunning prose, of course!). I have a special Goldsboro edition of this coming as well and I can't wait to see how beautiful it is!

and...

A Lush and Seething Hell by John Hornor Jacobs

Publication: October 8th, 2019

Harper Voyager

Hardcover. 384 pages.

Pre-order: Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

From Goodreads:

"Bringing together his acclaimed novella The Sea Dreams It Is the Sky and an all-new short novel My Heart Struck Sorrow, John Hornor Jacobs turns his fertile imagination to the evil that breeds within the human soul.

A brilliant mix of the psychological and supernatural, blending the acute insight of Roberto Bolaño and the eerie imagination of H. P. Lovecraft, The Sea Dreams It Is the Sky examines life in a South American dictatorship. Centered on the journal of a poet-in-exile and his failed attempts at translating a maddening text, it is told by a young woman trying to come to grips with a country that nearly devoured itself. 

In My Heart Struck Sorrow, a librarian discovers a recording from the Deep South—which may be the musical stylings of the Devil himself. Breathtaking and haunting, A Lush and Seething Hell is a terrifying and exhilarating journey into the darkness, an odyssey into the deepest reaches of ourselves that compels us to confront secrets best left hidden."

This sounds so dark and creepy and absolutely perfect for an October read. I mean, "the evil that breeds within the human soul" completely catches my eye even if nothing else does (which it does!), so I'm really excited for this and can't wait to check it out. 

What do you think about these upcoming releases? What are your anticipated upcoming releases?

Top Ten Tuesday: Books On My (Tentative) Fall TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly book blog meme now hosted by Jana over at The Artsy Reader Girl!

This week's topic is: Books On My Fall 2019 TBR

I'm not someone that really makes active TBR lists because I'm far too much of a mood reader to ever follow a list of what to read. That being said, there are certainly some books that I'd really like to get to this fall, so I'm going to share those! Some of these are upcoming books that I have ARCs for and some are backlist titles that I need to catch up on or continue a series with. All of these books, however, are ones that I have in my possession either digitally or physically and that's why I'm prioritizing them to read this fall!

The Deep by Alma Katsu

NetGalley approved me for this ARC a couple weeks ago and I've been saving it for an October read--I can't wait to dive in!

"Someone, or something, is haunting the Titanic. 

This is the only way to explain the series of misfortunes that have plagued the passengers of the ship from the moment they set sail: mysterious disappearances, sudden deaths. Now suspended in an eerie, unsettling twilight zone during the four days of the liner's illustrious maiden voyage, a number of the passengers - including millionaires Madeleine Astor and Benjamin Guggenheim, the maid Annie Hebbley and Mark Fletcher - are convinced that something sinister is going on . . . And then, as the world knows, disaster strikes. 

Years later and the world is at war. And a survivor of that fateful night, Annie, is working as a nurse on the sixth voyage of the Titanic's sister ship, the Britannic, now refitted as a hospital ship. Plagued by the demons of her doomed first and near fatal journey across the Atlantic, Annie comes across an unconscious soldier she recognises while doing her rounds. It is the young man Mark. And she is convinced that he did not - could not - have survived the sinking of the Titanic . . ." Goodreads

A Fortress of Grey Ice by J.V. Jones

I've been meaning to jump into this sequel for far too long, so I'm challenging myself to actually do it this fall. Fingers crossed I get to it!

"Built on the backs of those who fell before it, Julius Caesar's imperial dynasty is only as strong as the next person who seeks to control it. In the Roman Empire no one is safe from the sting of betrayal: man, woman or child.

With impeccable research and captivating prose, The Confessions of Young Nero is the story of a boy's ruthless ascension to the throne. Detailing his journey from innocent youth to infamous ruler, it is an epic tale of the lengths to which man will go in the ultimate quest for power and survival." Goodreads 

The Poison Thread by Laura Purcell

I really enjoyed Purcell's spooky The Silent Companions a couple years back and I'm really intrigued to check out this one from her as well! Fall seems like the perfect time for it.

"Dorothea Truelove is young, wealthy, and beautiful. Ruth Butterham is young, poor, and awaiting trial for murder. 

When Dorothea's charitable work brings her to Oakgate Prison, she is delighted by the chance to explore her fascination with phrenology and test her hypothesis that the shape of a person's skull can cast a light on their darkest crimes. But when she meets one of the prisoners, the teenaged seamstress Ruth, she is faced with another strange idea: that it is possible to kill with a needle and thread--because Ruth attributes her crimes to a supernatural power inherent in her stitches. 

The story Ruth has to tell of her deadly creations--of bitterness and betrayal, of death and dresses--will shake Dorothea's belief in rationality, and the power of redemption. Can Ruth be trusted? Is she mad, or a murderer? The Poison Thread is a spine-tingling, sinister read about the evil that lurks behind the facade of innocence." Goodreads

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

I am so overdue on reading this, but I decided I wanted to wait and read it near the end of the year (November/December) because it feels like that sort of cozy magical atmosphere that I love to read during those months. I cannot wait! Although I'll admit I'm slightly nervous since my expectations are so high.

"The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night. 

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands. 

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead." Goodreads

The Rosewater Redemption by Tade Thompson

"Life in the newly independent city-state of Rosewater isn't everything its citizens were expecting. T

he Mayor finds that debts incurred during the insurrection are coming back to haunt him. Nigeria isn't willing to let Rosewater go without a fight. And the city's alien inhabitants are threatening mass murder for their own sinister ends... 

Operating across spacetime, the xenosphere, and international borders, it is up to a small group of hackers and criminals to prevent the extra-terrestrial advance. The fugitive known as Bicycle Girl, Kaaro, and his former handler Femi may be humanity's last line of defense." Goodreads

The Dragon Reborn (The Wheel of Time #3) by Robert Jordan

I sort of got distracted from when I started this series a few years back, but I'm back on track and I want to continue so I'm going to try to get to this before the year is over!

"The Dragon Reborn—the leader long prophesied who will save the world, but in the saving destroy it; the savior who will run mad and kill all those dearest to him—is on the run from his destiny. 

Able to touch the One Power, but unable to control it, and with no one to teach him how—for no man has done it in three thousand years—Rand al'Thor knows only that he must face the Dark One. But how? 

Winter has stopped the war—almost—yet men are dying, calling out for the Dragon. But where is he? 

Perrin Aybara is in pursuit with Moiraine Sedai, her Warder Lan, and Loial the Ogier. Bedeviled by dreams, Perrin is grappling with another deadly problem—how is he to escape the loss of his own humanity? 

Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve are approaching Tar Valon, where Mat will be healed—if he lives until they arrive. But who will tell the Amyrlin their news—that the Black Ajah, long thought only a hideous rumor, is all too real? They cannot know that in Tar Valon far worse awaits..." Goodreads

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

I love Twelve Dancing Princesses retellings so I am beyond thrilled to see if I love this one as much as I'm hoping I will.

"Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor, a manor by the sea, with her sisters, their father, and stepmother. Once they were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls' lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last—the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge—and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods. 

Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that the deaths were no accidents. Her sisters have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn't sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who—or what—are they really dancing with? 

When Annaleigh's involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it's a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family—before it claims her next." Goodreads

The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

I won a copy of this book a while back and I've been saving it to read in December since it also takes place around that time! I know, it's a little much, but it just feels right!

"All of them are friends. One of them is a killer. 

During the languid days of the Christmas break, a group of thirtysomething friends from Oxford meet to welcome in the New Year together, a tradition they began as students ten years ago. For this vacation, they’ve chosen an idyllic and isolated estate in the Scottish Highlands—the perfect place to get away and unwind by themselves. 

They arrive on December 30th, just before a historic blizzard seals the lodge off from the outside world. 

Two days later, on New Year’s Day, one of them is dead. 

The trip began innocently enough: admiring the stunning if foreboding scenery, champagne in front of a crackling fire, and reminiscences about the past. But after a decade, the weight of secret resentments has grown too heavy for the group’s tenuous nostalgia to bear. Amid the boisterous revelry of New Year’s Eve, the cord holding them together snaps. 

Now one of them is dead . . . and another of them did it. 

Keep your friends close, the old adage goes. But just how close is too close?" Goodreads

Pride of Eden by Taylor Brown

I feel like this could either be really good or really weird and I don't know anything else about it, so we'll see!

"Vietnam veteran, retired racehorse jockey, and keeper of secrets, Anse Caulfield rescues exotic big cats, elephants, and other creatures for Little Eden, a wildlife sanctuary near the abandoned ruins of a failed development on the Georgia coast. But when Anse’s prized lion escapes and is killed, he becomes obsessed with replacing her—even if the means of rescue aren’t exactly legal. 

Anse is joined by Malaya, a former soldier herself, who after discharge hunted poachers decimating an elephant refuge in Africa; Lope, whose training in falconry taught him to pilot surveillance drones; and Tyler, a veterinarian who has found a place in Anse’s obsessive world. 

From an ancient crocodile scarred by forced combat with other animals, a panther caged in a yard, a rare tiger destined to be harvested for its glands, a lion kept as a tourist attraction at a gas station, to a pack of wolves being raised on a remote private island off the coast, Anse and his team battle an underworld of smugglers, gamblers, breeders, trophy hunters, and others who exploit exotic game." Goodreads

Islandia by Austin Tappan Wright

Every year I choose to tackle one big 1000+ page tome that I've been wanting to read and this year it's Islandia! I honestly don't know much about this book other than the synopsis, but I'm so intrigued by it. I plan to read this over the next few months and finish in December!
"Balam is a sleepy town on the eastern coast of Atlua, surrounded by forest and sea. It’s a village where nothing happens and everybody knows each other. But now, people are dying. 

"Austin Tappan Wright left the world a wholly unsuspected legacy. After he died in a tragic accident, among this distinguished legal scholar's papers were found thousands of pages devoted to a staggering feat of literary creation—a detailed history of an imagined country complete with geography, genealogy, literature, language and culture. As detailed as J.R.R. Tolkien's middle-earth novels, Islandia has similarly become a classic touchstone for those concerned with the creation of imaginary world.

Islandia occupies the southern portion of the Karain Continent, which lies in the Southern Hemisphere. Its civilization is an ancient one, protected from outside intervention by a natural fortress of towering mountains. To this isolated country - this alien, compelling and totally fascinating world - comes John Lang, the American consul. As the reader lives with Lang in Islandia, as he comes to know this magnetic land, its unique people, its strange customs, he may find himself experiencing a feeling of envy, a wish that he, like Lang, be permitted, at the book's end, to return once more and spend the rest of his days in Islandia." Goodreads

Have you read any of these books? What books are on your fall TBR?

Review: The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep by H.G. Parry

The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep by H.G. Parry
Orbit

Publication Date: July 32rd, 2019

Hardcover. 459 pages

About The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep:

"For his entire life, Charley Sutherland has concealed a magical ability he can't quite control: he can bring characters from books into the real world. His older brother, Rob -- a young lawyer with a normal house, a normal fiancee, and an utterly normal life -- hopes that this strange family secret will disappear with disuse, and he will be discharged from his life's duty of protecting Charley and the real world from each other. But then, literary characters start causing trouble in their city, making threats about destroying the world... and for once, it isn't Charley's doing. 

There's someone else who shares his powers. It's up to Charley and a reluctant Rob to stop them, before these characters tear apart the fabric of reality."

The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep was one of the biggest and best surprises of the year for me. I feel like this book has sort of flown under the radar and it really shouldn't. I first discovered it a few months back before its release knew I would have to check it out, not realizing just how much I would end up falling in love with this story and its characters. One description on Goodreads call it "the ultimate book-lover's fantasy" and honestly, it really is!

This is a story about Rob and Charley Sutherland, two brothers who have been hiding a rather...unique ability that only they and their parents know about. I've read a number of different books that contain ideas such as this in which characters from books come to life or people can enter book worlds and the like, but I especially loved how Parry developed that idea in this book. Charley's exploration of his abilities was so fascinating to me and I loved the seemingly limitless options that are explored and found plausible as he learns more and more about his powers.

I felt strongly connected to both Charley and Rob in the best ways and it genuinely seemed like I had things in common with both of them, which of course made me feel that much more connected to them. Rob Sutherland is your average man: he's working successfully as a lawyer, he has a new home with his fiance, and he's constantly on alert for when his brother needs him to help wrangle a character back into a book--which, okay, might not be the most 'average' part of his existence. Rob is an incredibly endearing character and his near-constant exasperation with his brother and those around him made his inner dialogue truly enjoyable. Charley is just as endearing as his brother Rob, though in very different ways. He's much meeker and more insecure than Rob despite his obvious genius in the literary world and he has such a distinct and somehow adorable personality about him that I couldn't help but love him. (For those that have read Laini Taylor's Strange the Dreamer, he reminds me a bit of Lazlo Strange in how you just want to wrap him up and keep him safe from everything.)

I loved all of the different classic characters that pop into the story, from Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles (yes, the actual animal) to Dorian Grey to Mr. Darcy. I felt that Parry was exceptionally creative in bringing the characters back to life in ways that both fit their characters and allowed them to become more developed into realistic characters that are interacting in a modern world with new people around them. The really neat part about how the characters coming to life works is that each character is influenced by the reader's interpretation of them, so if I pictured, say, a melancholy Sherlock Holmes, then that that mood will permeate the Sherlock Holmes that I bring to life. It's a really unique and interesting take that made it even more fun to explore the new characters.

This book was both fun and serious at the same time. The tone maintained a somewhat quirky and humorous note to it for the entirety of the story, but there were certainly deeper moments of reflection and heavier conversations and themes that grabbed me unexpectedly and made me think a lot. I marked so many passages and lines with my note tabs, half because they made me laugh and half because they felt special and stood out as something important to me.

Overall, I've given The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep five stars! I absolutely loved this book and had a blast with it. If you love books about books, endearing and quirky characters, and a unique "magic system" and storyline, then definitely pick this one up.

*I received a copy of The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep courtesy of the publisher, Orbit, in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating or enjoyment of the novel.*

Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

The Friday Face-Off: Hair

Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a weekly meme at Books by Proxy. Join us every Friday as we pit cover against cover, and publisher against publisher, to find the best artwork in our literary universe. You can find a list of upcoming topics at Lynn's Books.

This week's topic is:
“Your hair is winter fire, January embers.” – A cover featuring hair

As soon as I saw this week's topic, I knew it had to be Mindy McGinnis' A Madness so Discreet. I usually don't like books with people on the cover, but this one of those rare covers that I am absolutely in love with that features a person.
......and unfortunately it only has two different cover editions. I'm still sharing those below, but for the rest I just decided to share a small array of various covers that feature some lovely hair (which is not something I ever really expected to type).

  

2015 US Hardcover | 2017 Polish

2012 US Hardcover | 2008 US Hardcover | 2007 US Paperback


2013 US Hardcover | 2017 US Hardcover | 2016 US Hardcover


2008 UK Paperback | 2018 US Hardcover
My choice:

Honestly, most of these are pretty beautiful, but I'm always going to be partial to A Madness so Discreet probably! The Seer and the Sword and The Light of the Oracle are both particularly lovely, though.


What cover(s) do you like the most!?