"The bus was old and smelled a bit like feet and desperation - and yes, desperation has a smell. It's not pleasant."

Firebug by Lish McBride
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was really fun, I read it a few weeks ago, but the story still sparks inside me (see what I did there?)

Anyways, this was the first book I've read from Lish McBride and though I've read somewhere that it is somehow related or happens in the same world as her previous Necromancer series, you won't really get confused at all if you haven't read it (like me).

This book tells the story of Ava, a cool temperamental girl who happens to be a firebug, basically, she controls fire and makes flames spark at her will. She is forced to work for an evil sort of all mob-like organization for supernatural beings called Coterie, whose head is a power hungry vampire woman called Venus. The job is dirty, as she is the designated unwilling killer for the Coterie.



However, she has the best two sidekicks: Ezra vain hot guy who shifts into a fox and Locke well centred and no longer wearing a hipster moustache half dryad -tree empath-. The chemistry between these three was just amazing. I savoured every single moment of their adventures.

I loved McBride's writing style! Particularly how she makes her character's intentions and dialogues funny and witty. I had lots and lots of laugh-out-loud moments (my husband worried there for a little while). Even though the book starts a little info-dumpy, it grew on me! It was smart, addictive and ohhhhh... what an ending!!!

Here are some of my favourite lines:

"He always had this sort of hand-in-the-cookie-jar look about him, just bad enough to be fun."

"The bus was old and smelled a bit like feet and desperation - and yes, desperation has a smell. It's not pleasant."

"How on earth did other people manage double lives? Batman must be tired all the time. Of course, Batman also had Alfred to keep his shit straight for him."





...well, this is why you always need sidekicks when battling the underworld ;)

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For my Fictional Meals section, I want to talk about Maple Syrup. This book starts with this sweet-sticky-concoction, one of my favourite spreadable. Ava's firebug skills help out in the process of Maple Sugaring. She basically describes the process and uses her fire to keep it boiling.



Yummmmm I was fortunate enough to try the real Canadian deal and let me tell you mhhhhh. Unforgettable! Also, I visited a Maple farm and it was a great experience to see the trees and check out the extraction process.

_
I received an ARC of this book from its publishers, Henry Holt and Co. (BYB)/Macmillan through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. No maple syrup or any other tasty bribe was offered during this exchange.





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“Just a rat, she repeated to herself. After all, there were rats in the palace. Human and otherwise. Could be worse.”

The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Inteeeeeennnsseeeeeee!!!

This book was fun. I had read so many positive things about this series, so I decided to give it a go through my favourite medium, audiobooks. And boy was I right.

The book starts slow. At some points it dragged a bit and I took big listening hiatuses in between. However, there is a part on it's last quarter when you just want to listen all the way without any interruptions. This book obviously reminded me of Tolkien and Robert Jordan's worlds. I had a great time listening and better yet, i had a lovely read-along discussion time with my friend Kerry, who read it with me. Lots of details, nicknames, laughs and wonderings during our readalong.

The Seven Realms are a convoluted place. A thousand years ago there was this thing called the Breaking, where a very powerful wizard, the Demon King broke the world and all the Clans had to help to save it. A charismatic queen Hanalea had a prominent role in saving the world and making an allegiance with the Clans, making bargains to ensure wizards won't gain as much powers as they did and that no queens would be able to marry wizards. We start by having a quick introduction into this world by an unruly young wizard (Micah Bayar) who tries to herd some deers by burning the forest. Witnesses to this event, Dancer and Han (the later, one of our main characters) confront the young wizard and a chain reaction of events occurs, triggered by the decisions of this encounter. This carefully unfolds throughout this story.

This book is told from two main points of view, Princess Raisa ana'Marianna (alias Rebecca Morley) and Han Alister, with his aliases: street rat name - Cuffs, Clan name: - Hunts Alone. It also has an in between character, Amon Byrne, friend and guard of Raisa who occasionally adds his view.

We've got an I-haven't-done-anything (sure) kind of character in Lord Bayar, Micah's father and High Wizard.



A magical scary amulet



We also have the best (saddest) description of a possible romantic interest, Amon by Raisa's view:
"comfortable, like a pair of broken-in moccasins." *sad face*




Also, secret secret meetings and night escapes!




And good old bad-desisions-with-bad-consequences



*fist-bump* you guessed it right. There is a part, when it gets obvious, that yes, you'll find both of our characters being awesome and outsmarting evil or learning what they can do.



It was fun, entertaining and very very rich.

I'm ready for more!



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