Book Review: Greaveburn

Hi readers, 

I can't believe another month is over! Well, February has been very short this year. Spring all ready has arrived which given the few storms and cold weather there's been recently seems a bit strange! Anyway, today I'm reviewing another self-published novel and it's by an author I've meet! It was way back in December 2015 at a Steampunk fair and I brought one of his other books; Not Before Bed. You can read that review here; http://hailscrazyblog.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/book-review-not-before-bed-by-craig.html

I did see Greaveburn at the time but it didn't really interested me and I didn't want to commit to a full novel. I did put it on my reading list and a few months back I brought it but it's only a few weeks since I actually read it. 

It sort of was and wasn't my kind of book. I've been saying for ages I need to get more into fantasy novels and steampunk novels, I enjoy them both and thought this, which combines the two would be a nice read. I think part of the problem though is that it feels very novice like. Yeah, I know first time writers' books often are and I did try to set that aside. Hallam's writing isn't that bad, but he totally over uses similes and metaphors which stops the narrative flow and makes it seem like he's trying to hard! There is a good level of description though and the dialogue isn't that bad.   

I think though, the steampunk elements mixed with the fantasy genre didn't work for me. I blame myself to be honest! For me, steampunk is Victorian setting and I find it hard to look further out the box with it, but actually fantasy and other settings/genres would work well with steampunk, it's quite a versatile theme. Perhaps though, if this book had solidified itself in fantasy then it might have worked better. 

The other problem is that this is a stand alone book and it's short which means that there's not enough time to create the fantasy world or really develop anyone but the hero. I could have seen this working as a series and actually I would like to read more books set in the Greaveburn world. It wouldn't have to be about the same characters either. I don't know. For me, the creation of a fantasy world takes time and why just use it in one short book? Most of my short stories, barely started novels and characters, are base in or inspired by the world of Dungeons and Dragons or Tolkien to save time. 

Maybe, I'm being too mean this morning? 

I did enjoy reading Greaveburn and I liked the hero. He did do that stereotypical fall and rise of a hero though. His name is Darrant and he starts off in a high position as guard to the princess, but he is almost killed and ends up recovering in the sewers. He is taken care of by the 'broken folk' a group of the lowest of the low, who have all been rejected by Greaveburn. Darrant is determined to save the princess, the people and Greaveburn, so he leads a revolt to take back power. He is a likeable character and I did get into his story.   

The Princess Abrasia has only a little role to play and I would have liked her to be more involved and powerful. She comes across as a classic Disney princess really. She has lost all of her family but is too young to become queen, so a duke - I think it was, don't have the book to hand- is ruling in her place, but his family really wanted to take full control. We get to see the beauty of Greaveburn through her and she is very symbolic of freedom and new hope. However, she is 'killed' off under orders of the duke's family. She ends up being saved by a scientist guy - where most of the steampunk stuff comes in- and put into a death like sleep until she can be awoke safely. 

There are a few other characters who we get to spend sometime with, but they all seem to be supporting and background figures, so we learn very little about them. It would have been nice to have had a sub-plot maybe or some other story line to make things more interesting and longer. 

Actually, thinking about it now, this book does remind me of Les Miserables! The rise and fall of the characters, the fighting for power and justice, the poverty most of the characters have to live in and the cruelty of human nature. That all sums Greaveburn up too. 

Overall, this novel isn't bad. There's a mix of steampunk and fantasy, interesting characters and a plot that is simple but effective. I would say if you're interested then give it a read and see what you think. 

Thanks for reading. 

Book Review: Cemetery Candles

Hi readers, 

Today, I'm reviewing a book I read in early January. I can't remember how I heard about this book, maybe it was on a list of good vampire novels or I just stumbled across it whilst looking for something else. Anyway, the price tag of this book was high and I don't know why really, maybe it's self-published? but I had to wait till it was reduced to get it anyway and I'm glad I did. 

Candles is far from a typical vampire romance novel. Actually it's a little confusing because it starts with a vampire, Victor, - though he does a god job of hiding it - hiring a tutor for his young nephew and we get introduced to Victor, his nephew, Teo and their world through the eyes of the tutor, Valentina. It becomes clear that Victor and Valentina are falling in love but then Valentina sees Victor with another woman, Suzette, and they appear to be very close. 

Then there's a total switch in the story and we leave the 'present' with Valentina and Victor to go back into the past - 1700's-where we get most of Suzette's story. This is a really nicely told historic tale and it also has typical tragic events. Suzette meets and falls in love with Ivan who is a vampire. Ivan turns Suzette, who has a good job working as a doctor, into a vampire. Years later, Suzette and Victor met and fall in love. Sadly, the novel ends before we get to see Suzette make Victor into a vampire though we are aware it will happen. 

Whilst reading this book I wasn't sure what to make of it. The style of writing is a bit odd because its' third person present tense which isn't often written in. The flow though is fine and it doesn't jump around the years too badly. I don't think that being divided into two different time settings works though and I think it would have been better to take out the first part with Valentina and just expand the second part with the vampires. Clearly, it's been written like this to draw more people in and to set things up for later books. Yep, this is the first in a series. 

The one thing that really made me like this book was the different portraying of vampires. There is hardly any violence and fighting and love making that is very often attached to serial vampire books. I do enjoy all of that but its nice to read something different and see vampires in a different light. The real conflict in this novel comes from a strange problem to do with true love. A vampire can fall in love and be with a mortal, but when the vampire turns that lover into a vampire, the lover no longer feels true love for the vampire. 

So, there's a load of heartbroken vampires trying to be with other vampires who can't love them back. A good example of this goes; Ivan and Suzette fall in love but then when he makes her into a vampire, Suzette finds she can no longer love him so deeply back. Then she falls in love with Victor. She actually puts off making Victor into a vampire because she knows that will change the love between them. 

I do understand the workings of this, but for me and especially as this is supernatural romance, it doesn't sit that well with me. However, I do like the originality of this but I feel that being a vampire is cursed enough and not being able to be with your true love is just frustrating!    

The characters are very interesting and you do get a lot of development. I wish more time could have been spent with Valentina though, I feel she got pushed to the side by Suzette's story. I do feel like more work was needed on these characters and maybe because it's the first book the characters will grew further. 

Overall, this is a nice different vampire novel and once you get into it and over the style of writing, it does draw you in. It's a quick read too and interesting enough to keep you turning the pages. Am I going to buy the second book though? It's on my list, but until next year and when the price has really come down! I won't be getting it. I've far too many books and manga on my list right now that unless - like with with Miss Peregrine - I find another book I'm seriously addicted too! 

Thanks for reading and see you all next week. 

(https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25798192-montenegro-book-one)

February Life Update: Spa Weekend Away!

Hi readers,

I've just got back from a really nice weekend away with my boyfriend. We went to a little village called Ramsbottom in Bury which is just up the motorway from me. A few months back, I saw on Wowcher this deal for a two night weekend spa there at the Old Mill Hotel and we decided it would be a nice Valentine's weekend away.

Unfortunately, even though I tried to book two months before hand, the hotel was booked for a wedding that weekend and the week after they only had rooms on Saturday night. The weekend after that- the last in February they were also fully booked due to the Chocolate festival. So, we had to go with this past weekend as there was a time limit on the deal.

We still had a great time though. We arrived Friday afternoon and just chilled out the room. I wanted to go swimming but my boyfriend wasn't feeling that great- something he'd eaten the day before- so we had a nap and just enjoyed having alone time together. The room we got was really nice and the bed comfy.  Later, we had tea in the hotel restaurant which was okay but could have been better. We were both really hungry though. Then we spent the evening and early night watching movies and chilling.

On Saturday, we got up had breakfast which had been included, then went out to see the village. There are only like two main streets which are lined with interesting shops. There's also a train station which also has steam trains running on it. We did look at going on one but it was expensive and we had other things we wanted to do.

After walking around the village, we went to The Chocolate Cafe and had some lunch. Even though it had only just gone lunch time it was worth getting early because minutes after we sat down it got so busy people were having to queue for tables! The food and drinks were really good. I had a jacket potato which was one of the best I'd ever had and also a hot chocolate that was butterscotch and banana flavour. My boyfriend had a cheese toasty and a chocolate milkshake which he said was the best he'd ever drunk.

We were too full to stay for cake and the cafe had got super busy, so we went back downstairs into the shop and brought some chocolate for later. we've not eaten the bars yet but we shared the buttons which were awesome! They were so melt in the mouth and thicker then normal chocolate buttons. I so will be buying them again as you can order online; http://www.chocolate-cafe.co.uk

We were then going to walk up to Peel Tower which was about half an hour and said to have good views of Ramsbottom and the surrounding area. However, I had a bad asthma attack and I really wanted to go swimming. So we went back to the hotel room for a bit and when I was feeling better, we went down to the spa. The pool was really small and you couldn't fit more then 6 or 8 people in it. However, when I was alone in the pool, it felt like this was my private swimming pool because it has that feel to it!

We couldn't use the Jacuzzi because a sign said it was too cold outside and so it wasn't working. I don't get that but we went in the sauna and steam room. I do love steam rooms because they are good for my asthma and I try to stay as long as possible. Saunas though with their dry heat, I can only go in for a little while. I really enjoyed it thought it was nice to swim after walking.

For tea, we had decided to go out and we picked a Chinese restaurant that we had walked past in the morning and checked the online reviews of. However when we arrived less then hour after they had opened, we were told it would be an hour and half wait as they were fully booked! I couldn't wait that long, so we went to a Chinese and English takeaway which seemed really good. We ordered and as we sat down to wait the place filled up with like twelve people coming into order or collected food. So it was really popular. The food was really nice, but we got far too much! I had bbq ribs to start with and there was like 10 good size meaty ribs in the box. That meant I couldn't eat my chow mein which was really big too!

We went to bed early, stuffed and tried. Then though we realised we could hear the music and people from the wedding party which was happening in the bar/restaurant area which was opposite our room. We got through that only then at about 1am we were awoken by a drunken arguing couple in our corridor. They were slamming, knocking and kicking their door and shouting at each other. It seemed to be mostly the man doing all of this as he seemed to be locked out by her. Whatever was going on, they kept us awake for an hour and a half or so. We watched a movie on TV and did thing about phoning reception to complain.

We didn't phone in the end and just went back to bed. We slept through breakfast even though we did get up to go but we both decided we were too tried. We went to checkout and I did complain then. The receptionist said other people had phoned the night porter and he had been up a few times but nothing has been resolved and there was little they could do. She then give us the receipts and tried to charge us for drinks we'd not had! We had already paid for the drinks we'd had with the meal and we'd not brought anything else. She did try hard to make us pay but when we really refused, she tried to find the bar receipt. Of course, she never found it so she didn't charge us.

Overall, it was a good weekend though and it was nice to spend alone time with my boyfriend. Ramsbottom is a good place to escape for a weekend away and if we do visit again I'd like to go on the steam train and walk to Peel Tower.  

That's all for today. Next week it's back to book reviews.

(All photos belong to me)