Massive Update on my Life!: YouTube, Major Hair Change, ACOMAF! || FeathersandFaith - Ella Fleming-Christie

Hey ya'll! Ella here!

So I haven't posted in a while! I've been so busy starting Uni, doing an online course for a 'Diploma in Applied Writing (Level 5)' with NorthTec Whangarei. I've also been receiving a hell of a lot of books from HarperCollins New Zealand which has literally been a godsend and a curse at the same time...

I am currently reading Desolation by Derek Landy and holy moly is it as good as the first in the trilogy, Demon Road! However it's killing me because I just received A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas in hardback and my god is the 600 paged beauty the most gorgeous thing I've seen since Queen of Shadows released! I bet y'all it'll take me a quarter of the time to read ACOMAF as it has taken me to only get through 3/4 of Desolation!

So anyway, since then I've decided that my hair has needed a major do-over - therefore I cut like 20cm off and dyed it bold red. I absolutely love it and am almost dreading going auburn closer to the end of the year to play Clary Fray from the tv show, Shadowhunters for the Armageddon Expo in Auckland, New Zealand around October this year. Hey, at least my hair will be healthier by then! Here's a pic of what it looks like now :)

If you haven't already seen, I uploaded my latest video, "25 Facts About Me" yesterday and my god I got an amazing response from my amazing friends and viewers about the personal stuff I managed to reveal. It was really a heart-lifting and inspiring moment to know that so many lovely people care and want to keep supporting me as they always have been. Plus all the new subscribers, I really hope I'm doing my job and keeping y'all entertained! I try my best to not only bring you the best content, but also make it funny so that it's definitely worth the watch and that you might encourage others to check my channel! Here's the link to the video if you'd like to check it out! Please don't forget to like, comment if you want and subscribe to be notified about my newest videos!

That's about it for now apart from the fact that I'll be doing more video reviews from now on than written reviews as I am trying to make my YouTube channel bigger and more successful so I'll be posting more updates and personal content here like pictures from outings or books I've gotten, etc.

Please let me know if there is anything you'd like to see me write about, attempt to do or whatever. I love trying to provide what you guys want!

Thanks for supporting me and being amazing!

Bellzxoxo 😘

Find more out about my writing career at:

http://ellafleming-christie.weebly.com

My YouTube Channel: FeathersandFaith

Twitter: @ellabellabellz

Instagram: @FeathersandFaith

Snapchat: FeathersnFaith

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♡ I now have a P.O Box!:

P.O Box 21-290 Henderson

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Time Travelling with a Hamster by Ross Welford: Book Review

A truly original debut novel from an extraordinarily talented new voice in children’s books. Laugh, cry and wonder at this race-against-time story of a boy who travels back to 1984 to prevent a go-kart accident, and save his father’s life…

“My dad died twice. Once when he was thirty nine and again four years later when he was twelve.

The first time had nothing to do with me. The second time definitely did, but I would never even have been there if it hadn’t been for his ‘time machine’…”

When Al Chaudhury discovers his late dad’s time machine, he finds that going back to the 1980s requires daring and imagination. It also requires lies, theft, burglary, and setting his school on fire. All without losing his pet hamster, Alan Shearer…

SPOILER FREE REVIEW

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To be fully honest I wasn't totally sure about this book when I first received it in the mail from HarperCollins New Zealand. The main reasons were because: a) It is a middle-grade book and I usually don't like anything too plain like these unless it's by the exception of Stacy Gregg in which I will happily accept anyone of her books to read and keep. b) Because of the name and the cover. Yes I know that is a quick and harsh judgement but I mean come on, I'm not the biggest fan of cheesy titles and kiddy-ish looking books unless it has anything to do with horses or spiritual stuff. Basically I'm a really fussy reader (which is really strange because I'm not that fussy with other things but there are probably a million different foods I wouldn't eat even if you offered me a million dollars. Okay in that case, I wouldn't be that fussy. I need a new laptop anyway and the money would come in handy. I'll shut-up about that now). The cover is honestly the type of image that I would have seen as a kid and head off running in the opposite direction. It brings back the memories of being the weird kid that didn't read because all the books I found in my opinion sucked and my attention span was the length of my pinky toe. Depite the obvious and the fact that I do judge a book by its cover (the literal term) I do have a completely different opinion about the actual story.

 This book is about a kid named Al Chaudhury who is a quarter Indian and is basically best friends with his full Indian Grandfather, Grandpa Byron. His father died when he was eight from a piece of metal that was lodged up through his nose into his brain from a go-gart incident which eventually killed him and left Al to survive with his mother, and now at twelve years old, with a new step-father (or step-loser) called Steve and a step-sister (step-sister-from-hell) called Carly. Al has just celebrated his twelfth birthday with everyone and has finally received a very secretive letter that his father wrote to him before his untimely death. Al finds out that his father Pye was working on a time-machine project that involved his old Apple Mac laptop, a bunch of cords, and a zinc tub, all concealed in the safety of a cellar-turned-safehouse in his old house which is basically a while away from where he lives now. He has been instructed by his father to use this time-machine to go back to 1984, two days before the incident, and prevent this go-cart accident from happening and therefore saving his dad's life. Basically if the accident never happened, the metal that got shoved up his nose as a kid wouldn't be there as an adult to eventually kill him. Thanks to this, Al feels a responsibility to save his father and have a complete family once again. Not only does he need to attempt this in order to change history, he cannot tell anyone about it because they would either try stop him out of fear for his safety, or tell him that he is crazy and that it would never work. Despite everything, Al manages to find his way around but ends up finding a bunch of obstacles in his way and everything changing before his eyes in ways he could (almost) never explain, all while being accompanied by his pet hamster, Alan Shearer.

Things I LOVE about Time Travelling with a Hamster:

* Again like the memoir thing, I love the "10 Things I Know About. . ." list! It gives the book some personality and I've never really seen any author use a list in a fictional novel before so it's pretty cool. Plus it gives a lot of quick insight to the characters that he is referring to, such as his Grandpa Byron, Mum, Dad or Steve.

* How logical most things sounded but some confused me a little! I absolutely loved how the idea of time-travel and the fact that you couldn't travel to a time where you already existed. The way the time travelling worked using a computer and coding is so unique. The way his Dad explained the way it worked and experimented it. Though I noticed that some facts that were originally stated early in the book weren't thoroughly kept up with when Al was thinking of all the things he could do with time-travel, he mentioned going back a week to get a lottery ticket and winning it with the numbers he'd retrieved from that following week. But he wouldn't have been able to having been alive a week ago and he wouldn't have been able to travel to then due to that simple fact.

* The hamster was adorably cute and I think it helped make the story better! The fact that Al was galavanting around back and forth with time-travel with his hampster and having to look after it all the time was so cute. He worried about it constantly and lost it about twice but the fact that he made sure he always saved it was the cutest thing. Plus (believe it or not) we can't have hamsters here in New Zealand and so for some reason I imagine it to be the most adorable little critter ever and I had a rat once (it was an albino with red eyes so it wasn't ugly like some rats) so I totally get the little bond between owner and pet.

Overall I have given this book a three out of five stars. I won't lie, it was a little boring for me mainly because it wasn't really the type of thing I was interested in and there wasn't a romance therefore I was at a lost for words when I finished it. However it is a great book for kids who are just starting out reading in middle school/intermediate and may be interested in the concept of time travel and computers. For a debut novel I think the author did a great job with writing this book and it will be nice to see what he writes in the future.

RELEASES FEBRUARY 1ST 2016!

Thank you HarperCollins New Zealand for the review copy! Go like their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/Harpercollinsnz?fref=ts

Go add Time Travelling with a Hamster to your Goodreads list HERE

Go buy it on MightyApe with 1 day delivery in New Zealand HERE

Buy it on Book Depository with free shipping world wide HERE

Find more out about my writing career at:

http://ellafleming-christie.weebly.com

My YouTube Channel: FeathersandFaith

The Jewel by Amy Ewing: Book Review

The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty. The Jewel means royalty. But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Not just any kind of servitude. Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty—because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring.

Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life.

Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence... and try to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess’s petulant niece. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.

SPOILER FREE REVIEW

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Being a debut novel of an author who once considered this story to be a "thesis project" made me really think about how much talent this author has. When I picked up this novel at the library, I did because I was continuing my infatuation with books about empires and princesses and all that jazz. Little did I know that when I would finish it, I would be completely pulled into the storyline and love interests that plagued the book. I found myself laughing at hilarious dialogue and literally almost crying at parts where Violet was being treated badly. The level of emotion and relatable moments was unbelievable and I don't think I've ever read such an emotional book since Breaking Dawn. I have to say well done to Amy for doing so well on her first YA fantasy series.

The main idea of the story intrigued me as so far I have never read anything about young girls in a kingdom who are born with a mutation that allows them to bear children which keep the royalty alive. They are taken away from their families living in the slums and are sent to a school that teaches them how to control their powers and acts accordingly in order to be presented to the royalty of the Jewel. The Jewel is the wealthiest area of the Kingdom being the very centre of a whole city which surrounds it in a circle, and each circle around it is a different type of reality and wealth. From the Jewel outwards it becomes a poorer and poorer state of life. Violet is from the very edge of the city where everyone is poor and is ripped from her family at the age of twelve to go stay at this school for four years before she is finally transferred to the Jewel to be prettied up for an auction and then bought off to the highest bidder as a surrogate to be their bearer of children.

Throughout the novel I constantly noticed Violent rebelling to certain things and feeling like she did not want to be controlled which is exactly how I would feel in that certain situation. Feeling like she was nothing but a tool to be used and then thrown away without feeling like she was even part of a family or to even have the chance to mother her own child. Knowing that her best friend, Raven, has to go through the same thing she does kills her inside - even more so knowing that she or her can't do anything about it. A forbidden love emerges too soon for her to even process it but she has to remind herself that in her position, she is not allowed to have any sort of relationship with anyone. The only friendship she has, and is really allowed, is the one with her mute servant, Annabelle. I feel a major pang of sympathy for Violet because she will never see her family again through this experience but she discovers some things and not everything as it seems. In terms of her powers she does better than others with growth which is why she was bought by the Duchess of the Lake. She wants to have a baby faster than any other so that it will be chosen and betrothed to the Electress' newborn baby son. All this seems so overwhelming to such a young girl at sixteen years old and I feel so bad for her being a mother myself and knowing that if I were in her situation, I would be going a little bit mental about the whole idea of it too.

Things I loved about The Jewel:

* Violet and Ash are a match made in heaven! These two were so obvious from the start. I absolutely loved every moment they managed together and the fact that they cared so much to even risk possibly being found out and executed. They're so cute and I can't wait to see how they develop in the second novel!

* The idea of the image, shape and growth powers is so unique and awesome! Considering the fact that most novels these days are writing about either the same "superpowers" or ones that just seem too typical, it's nice to see an author come up with something that's different and challenges the minds of the readers that have been buried in literature with every trope on the surface of the earth (a little dramatic but seriously though).

* I need a friend like Annabelle, although it would be nice if she could actually speak! She was the sweetest person to Violet the whole time she stayed at the Duchess of the Lake's house and always spent time with her when she had nothing to do. I loved that she was caring and was so amazing at dressing Violet up in clothes and makeup for any event she was expected to attend. I would probably cry if she ends up being killed off in the future.

* How unique and different the storyline and themes were! If every author managed to have an open mind like Amy then we'd have a hell of a lot more readers! I think some can get very bored of the same thing over and over like a love triangle or a rebellion rising and as much as I tend to love books like that, it's nice to read something that has never been written about before and it brings competition to the writing game. Readers want this to be fun and so that it's more challenging to choose who should win a book award.  We want fresh content and new names and places that are completely made up. We want stuff like this and that's why I loved it so much.

Overall I have given this book a four out of five stars for being such a dramatic change in the writing game. It has different themes and even Violet thinks a little differently from most protagonists which is what I really enjoyed. I can't wait to read the second one and find out what happens after that devastating ending which you'll have to read if you want to know what that is!

Go add The Jewel to your Goodreads list HERE

Go buy it on MightyApe with 1 day delivery in New Zealand HERE

Buy it on Book Depository with free shipping world wide HERE

Find more out about my writing career at:

http://ellafleming-christie.weebly.com

My YouTube Channel: FeathersandFaith

They Let Me Write A Book! by Jamie Curry: Book Review

“Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Jamie, I’m 19-years-old. I make videos on the Internet, and enough people watched them that they let me write a book. I know. What is life?”

WELCOME TO JAMIE’S WORLD

Inside these pages is my life so far, and what I’ve learnt – or haven’t learnt – along the way. Read about my cowboy hat years, the year I dug a big hole, and the time I pulled down my pants at a badminton game.

I’ll tell you my top travel tips (drink water), how to have fun at a school ball (don’t go) and how to be an adult (eat an oyster). And I’ll talk about YouTube, because I suppose that’s what got us into this mess in the first place …

SPOILER FREE REVIEW

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Since reading Rosie Waterland's memoir, I made a deal with myself to not judge books such as these too much on poor grammar, punctuation mistakes or bad paragraphing. Basically I feel like the only reason you should do a review on an autobiography is the fact that you enjoy it so much that you want others to read it or it's so bad that you've got to be a hardcore fan to even appreciate the effort put in. Well here I am, writing one hell of a fabulous review (again) because this is DEFINITELY a book that I want you all to read. Jamie Curry is a nineteen year old kiwi/New Zealander girl, much like myself, who makes videos on YouTube and Facebook. Her rise to fame started when she casually started up a Facebook page with friends as a joke to make funny memes and basically make people laugh, even if it meant poking fun at herself to do so. The startling number of ten million likes on her page called, "Jamie's World" helped her gain worldwide attention and basically gave her a kickstart on her "YouTube" career where she continued her funny antics in the form of parody videos and basically speaking about hilarious situations where just her personality alone could make you giggle your heart out. Personally, having many friends online from overseas, I can tell you that the majority of them know exactly who Jamie is and what she is well known for.

As soon as I received this early copy of Jamie's book from HarperCollins NZ I literally sat down immediately (after tweeting about it of course which later lead to Jamie personally retweeting and following me so I'm pretty stoked about that) and started to binge read it. It literally took me two and a half hours before I finished it. I'm totally serious about that. It is quite a small book compared to some but don't get me wrong, it's all about quality, not quantity and that's definitely the vibe I got from reading it. I absolutely loved reading all about the weird, childish moments Jamie had throughout her sporty childhood and the infamous cowboy hat that she never took off, something which I'm sure she'll one day find some way of bringing back into fashion. Out with Lorde's witch's blood lipstick and in with the outdated-but-still-cool-because-australian's-wear-them cowboy hats. To be fully honest, I found myself feeling a little awkward when I got up to the page where she tells you to colour her picture in. Not because I don't enjoy colouring in, I actually find that activity quite soothing and stress relieving. It's just because I feel like one day if I actually did well enough with my career and became friends with her, I'd have to confess that I coloured her picture in for hours on end and even fangirled a tiny bit when she followed me on Twitter (not awkward whatsoever). I often found myself laughing out loud from some of the things she mentioned and how she said it. Of course, having watched Jamie's videos on YouTube for a few years now I feel like I am accustomed with her humor and therefore constantly thinking, Totally Jamie, I so get that. And don't worry, I totally get where you're coming from. I was a strange kid too.

If you are already a massive Jamie fan then this book is definitely for you. If you aren't then if you don't get cheesy humor and understand the meaning of having fun even if it means talking to a camera and making people laugh for a job, then I don't know whether you'd enjoy this so much. If you are just simply curious to peer more into the life of Jamie and figure out what makes her tick then yeah, totally! Go buy this because it'll be the best two and a half hours of your life. Or five days. However long it takes you to read it. However, don't be fooled by her typical facade of humor, Jamie does eventually get pretty candid with her personal struggles with OCD, anxiety and online hate. Reading about her internal struggles made me realise even more that she's definitely just like any other person. She's a small town/country girl who struggles with being in large crowds and needs to have a clutter free environment. I personally related to her a lot just with her anxiety and panic attacks, God knows how many I've had to go through and nearly had. Trust me, it's not pretty for the person or anyone else around them while the episode is happening unless that someone knows exactly how to help. I feel like everyone who has ever gone crazy over seeing Jamie in public or at an event needs to buy and read this book to fully understand what it's like for her to deal with stuff like that while trying to keep a straight face. Basically, this novel shows Jamie inside and out and gives everyone a better idea of who she really is and not always just someone who is constantly smiling in front of a camera for our entertainment. Jamie is one of the coolest and weirdest people I've ever heard about (hopefully one day I'll get to say "meet") but that's just how we like her and I'm sure she will appreciate all her fans and anyone else reading her book to understand her and have a respect for her personal needs as a human being.

I have given this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars because even though it wasn't life changing for me personally, I really did love it and it made my day just that little bit better. I feel better knowing that she's just a chill chick who I would personally love to have as a best friend and knowing that there is even a celebrity out there who knows exactly what it's like to have internal struggles which will most likely eventually be put out there for everyone to see. Jamie is an awesome icon for kids, teenagers and even adults out there and after you have read her autobiography, you'll most likely be rethinking everything you've ever thought and be asking yourself, "What is life"?

Thank you HarperCollins New Zealand for the review copy! Go like their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/Harpercollinsnz?fref=ts

Go add They Let Me Write A Book to your Goodreads list HERE

Go buy it on MightyApe with 1 day delivery in New Zealand HERE

Buy it on Book Depository with free shipping world wide HERE

Are you suffering with a mental illness such as depression or anxiety? Here are some helpful links from BetterHelp that you can check out and find tips on how to live a happier life:

BetterHelp Advice - Anxiety
BetterHelp Advice - Depression
How To Deal with Depression: Tips, Techniques And Finding the Right Treatment

How Do I Find A Therapist Near Me?

10 Depression Quotes That May Change Your Life

Find more out about my writing career at:

http://ellafleming-christie.weebly.com

My YouTube Channel: FeathersandFaith

Outsiders by Tammy Ferebee: Book Review

Jaylen Hayes knows that she is different from all other seventeen-year-old girls. Possessing extraordinary intelligence, she is also uncannily powerful and inexplicably hated by wild animals. But it is not until she transfers to Trinity High that she learns the truth about who—and what—she really is. 

Instinctively drawn to two new classmates—the intense and passionate Indigo, and the charismatic and breathtakingly gorgeous Michael—Jaylen soon learns the shocking secret of their shared heritage, and the bloodline that extends to the stars. However, all is not what it seems, and Jaylen soon finds her newfound security threatened when a trusted friend becomes a dangerous and vengeful enemy.

*I received a copy of this book from Tammy in exchange for an honest review!*

SPOILER FREE REVIEW

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Well I am literally lost for words. I have just finished this novel and now I have to attempt to organised all my crazy thoughts and emotions into writing a great review - because it was literally that brilliant! When I first found Tammy and learnt a bit more about her novel, Outsiders through a video she posted on her YouTube channel explaining the book and reading the blurb so that we could have somewhat of an idea as to what it was about. I am literally so glad that I found her because this book had me pining for more and more. Basically I couldn't handle not reading it, so I did everything that was required to have the house clean and everyone fed so that I could lock myself away in my bedroom, sit down on the bed and binge read until the end. It was only a few moments ago that I finally came back to civilisation and realise that Jaylen and Michael were just fictional characters and there's no such thing as aliens with super powers (well you never know, I might actually believe that) and so here I am - back to my own life where I am suffering through a major book hangover, drinking tea and writing this review.

Now please don't sit here reading this thinking that I'm only saying this much because I offered to do a review for Tammy and I only want to give her a review she'll want to hear. Well actually, no. That's not why I'm writing such an awesome review. Before I asked for a review copy, I had the strangest feeling that this was something I really wanted to read. Now as some people may know, I'm pretty hard to impress if a book isn't written well and usually my first gut instinct about a book is right. In this case, I was absolutely right and I couldn't thank Tammy more for being so good at this and making me believe in myself more as a writer as well. Tammy has pure talent as an author and even though it was self published, I'm more than positive that a company like HarperCollins would have snatched the manuscript up in a heartbeat. Even so, I love the cover design and how the name, "Outsiders" has been made into a font which resonates the eeriness of the novel. Don't get me wrong, there are lots of awesome events that happen and relationship drama's that makes you want the popcorn every two seconds - this novel definitely has it's fair share of scares and heart attacks. I have to admit, at least twice I basically wanted to cry my heart out for the characters but I couldn't or I'd look seriously psychotic in front of Chad. But I can say that this is one hell of an emotional rollercoaster, and you are bound to want to get on!

If I could say anything about the main character, Jaylen, it would be to mention how strong of an individual she is. The fact that she has been through so much with being through foster homes and two of her mother's dying; her real one when she was a little girl and her perfect foster mother when she was much older. I wish I were as tough as her and be able to stop myself from crying so easily - that takes massive talent! The fact that she started to live with Ms. Ward, the woman who put Jaylen in and out of foster homes through out her childhood, is a pretty major difference and a bit awkward, but like any other novel there is definitely development after time being spent together. The girl Indigo, who she met at her first day at Trinity High, was a great first friendship for Jaylen and really brought her out of her shell. When Jaylen met Michael, hearts were everywhere and of course Jaylen was in denial, more so thanks to Indigo, but what school is there where a friend of yours won't get even the tiniest bit jealous over the attention you're receiving from the guy she likes too, but is thankfully more interested in you? I like how Michael was a respectful male who had a good relationship with his mum. I also like how there is a reoccurring theme of a broken family, where Michael never knew his father either. This novel definitely had a strong theme of Americanized schooling showing through how the school handled things with classes, the fact that Prom was a massive thing and the harsh yet truthful discussion in the classroom that only the 'more attractive' people are chosen as Prom King or Queen, and how the graduation is taken as a massive milestone in life leading to their future at a faraway College. This is really interesting for someone like me who isn't immersed in that type of high school culture and I thoroughly enjoyed everything about the storyline, even when it almost had me in tears.

Overall I have given this novel a 4.5 out of 5 stars for its overall awesomeness and how much it drew me in. I absolutely loved this book and I cannot wait until the second one is released so I can find out what happens next! Amazing work, Tammy! I hope you decide to hit me up in the future so I can read more great content from you!

Go add Outsiders to your Goodreads list HERE

Go buy it on MightyApe with 1 day delivery in New Zealand HERE
(Please keep in mind that this is only the case if they have it in stock)

Buy it on Book Depository with free shipping world wide HERE

Find more out about my writing career at:

http://ellafleming-christie.weebly.com

My YouTube Channel: FeathersandFaith

Ten Thousand Skies Above You by Claudia Gray: Book Review

Ever since she used the Firebird, her parents' invention, to cross into alternate dimensions, Marguerite has caught the attention of enemies who will do anything to force her into helping them dominate the multiverse—even hurting the people she loves. She resists until her boyfriend, Paul, is attacked and his consciousness scattered across multiple dimensions. 

Marguerite has no choice but to search for each splinter of Paul’s soul. The hunt sends her racing through a war-torn San Francisco, the criminal underworld of New York City, and a glittering Paris where another Marguerite hides a shocking secret. Each world brings Marguerite one step closer to rescuing Paul. But with each trial she faces, she begins to question the destiny she thought they shared. 

The second book in the Firebird trilogy, Ten Thousand Skies Above You features Claudia Gray’s lush, romantic language and smart, exciting action, and will have readers clamoring for the next book.

*I received this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review*

SPOILER FREE REVIEW

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I am so happy that I was able to read this series by Claudia Gray. Thanks to HarperCollins NZ I now have a series that has not only pushed the limits of my brain in terms of science and physics through a YA novel, but I have found myself immersed in such a heartbreaking, and yet still beautiful, love story. I was given both the first book and this one as an ARC to check out and I am super grateful to have been randomly aligned with such a well written series. If I were to say anything about this specific book though, I would want people to know that there is nothing else like it and that in itself is more than enough reason to pick it up after reading the first. If you have not read the first book, A Thousand Pieces Of You, then you better or I'll hunt you down and replace your current TBR pile with just these two books alone! There's this saying, or just something widely known amongst many readers, especially on Booktube; the fact that the sequel is almost never better than the original. In this case we can happily skip over that generalization and get straight to the fact that this was the most heart-wrenching novel of the year (can I say century?)!

From what we saw of the first book, obviously the tides had turned; Marguerite and Paul ended up together; Theo wasn't really Theo, the Triadverse Theo hijacked his body; Henry Caine (Marguerite's father) didn't actually die - he was technically kidnapped; and we realised that the true enemy was in fact, Wyatt Conley, the millionaire and leader of the Triad Corporation. Now if you have just finished the first novel and you are looking for a review to give you a bit of closure, I'm sorry but I literally can't say much without spoiling it (that is why this is called a SPOILER FREE REVIEW!) - basically because this sequel has just as much twists and turns as the first, if not more. Even so, I'm here to try my very best. I absolutely loved how the story free flowed from the first, the way it interlocked in such a reasonable way through Theo and Paul - like Conley knew how to get to her by using the ones she loves. Marguerite undergoes another round of highly dangerous yet intriguing realities travelling through the dimensional realms in order to do what's right, but also to save her true love, Paul and her parent's science assistant, Theo. One thing that got me was the new worlds that she visited showed her a lot more about the possibility of fate - the one thing Paul tried so hard to prove in his scientific efforts - and how the soul can reanimate itself in so many different ways. I can definitely say that TTSAY transformed my appreciation for Theo as a concerned friend, but also helped me fall more and more for Paul's charms and everything about his personality that resonates throughout the entire book. Again I can't say too much without spoiling anything but I will tell you now that this one will have you in tears hoping to God that anything and everything will happen in order to help Marguerite succeed in her dimensional journey, even if it means sabotaging a life's work to ensure the safety of loved ones. Also visiting other dimensions and other versions of herself and her family will keep her questioning her loyalty and whether or not she was right about how a soul is always the same in every world and lifetime.

Marguerite definitely has a lot on her mind in this novel. She seems to question things much more and wonder whether she was misled by certain things and make it hard for her to make calculated decisions. Her loyalties are tested much more so it's almost heartbreaking to see how she goes through it all and still comes out mentally stable. She comes to a real development curve though which gains her better insight to the world of the dimensions and therefore gives her a clearer mind when it comes to the end of the book as her loyalties are truly tested in ways that no one would even begin to understand unless they saw it for themselves. Who knew families were so complicated! Marguerite eventually gets an opportunity to revisit the Russiaverse where she is know as a Duchess and has an older brother, Vladimir, younger sister, Katya, and a younger brother, Peter. There are complicated reasons as to why she feels she needs to visit again and unfortunately even coming back to this world doesn't help when she discovers something completely overwhelming for both her and the Duchess. I feel like the visit gives her more clarity on the virtue of life, not just through the previous lost of Lieutenant Markov and reliving that reality, but just seeing her 'siblings' again and something other that totally blows her mind.

I only just started this series about a couple of weeks ago but reading both back-to-back helped me see the major differences in either one and helped me develop my love for all the characters so much easily spending so much time with them. I'm really sad to have to wait a whole lot longer than everyone else to read the next installment due to receiving an ARC but at least I know I am fully ready to receive another dose of Marguerite and Paul having majorly romantic moments which make my stomach turn with butterflies and send my heart leaping with excitement. This novel is most likely one of Claudia's best work to date (I just can't see her original series, Evernight being as good as this!) so I'm betting on it that it will become one of the top selling series of the decade due to it's mastermind thoughtfulness behind it all. I don't think I can think of anything wrong with it and coming from a fully honest critic like myself, that hopefully sounds pretty good!

Overall I have given this a 4.75 stars out of 5 just naturally because it made me feel warm and gooey inside and I'm literally craving more like I crave coffee every morning. I need my next Firebird fix! Also one thing before I wrap this up, I can't wait until someone creates a Firebird device because I'm so down to own something like that. Hell, if it works then I'd love to find myself a Lieutenant Markov version of my partner, Chad (just kidding but seriously...)!

What do you expect to happen in this book? Do you believe in dimensions and the possibility of dimensional travel? What do you think the Firebird looks like? Any thoughts on the name for the next book? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below!

Go check out the awesome playlist I created specifically for this series on Spotify HERE!

Thank you HarperCollins New Zealand for the review copy! Go like their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/Harpercollinsnz?fref=ts

Go add Ten Thousand Skies Above You to your Goodreads list HERE

Go buy it on MightyApe with 1 day delivery in New Zealand HERE

Buy it on Book Depository with free shipping world wide HERE

Find more out about my writing career at:

http://ellafleming-christie.weebly.com

My YouTube Channel: FeathersandFaith

An Ember In The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir: Book Review

Set in a terrifyingly brutal Rome-like world, An Ember in the Ashes is an epic fantasy debut about an orphan fighting for her family and a soldier fighting for his freedom. It's a story that's literally burning to be told. LAIA is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes undercover as a slave at the empire's greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from rebel Scholars who claim that they will help to save her brother from execution. ELIAS is the academy's finest soldier-- and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias is considering deserting the military, but before he can, he's ordered to participate in a ruthless contest to choose the next Martial emperor. When Laia and Elias's paths cross at the academy, they find that their destinies are more intertwined than either could have imagined and that their choices will change the future of the empire itself. Vow your blood and body to the empire. Keep your heart for yourself.

SPOILER FREE REVIEW

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Much like any other novel, this particular story left me torn with emotions and a hunger to read more. 'An Ember In The Ashes' did not fail to impress me whatsoever; from the skill of writing to the character development to almost making me tear up because I felt so bad for some of the characters and what they dealt with. The way this book was written I could easily visualise every little detail of how the characters looked or what scar a certain slave had or where they were in terms of setting. Sabaa Tahir is truly a phenomenal author who I will be eager to read more from. Finishing book one and feeling like there is so much more to the story is definitely something that helps an author stay in business. What I feel after reading this book is a vast range of thoughts and feelings, ones which include potentially being one of those people who will do anything and everything to get the second book as soon as it is released. I'm sure it will be a long and torturous wait.

Starting the story off with Laia was the perfect way to show the harsh reality of the world in which it is set. Showing how her brother Darin was off doing things that he couldn't mention and the way she was left at home helping out her grandparents showed a great big picture of the situation without having to actually say it along with bringing up other vital questions which are of course later on answered. Her parents were not around; where were they and what happened to them? Darin was mentioned coming home late holding a sketchbook, something of which he would not show Laia yet he asked her to hide it before the Mask's came and found it; what had he seen and sketched that was so bad that the Mask's came to retrieve it? Things like this in a novel make me really appreciate how much thought the author puts into a story before they write it. It all adds up and makes sense later on. The way Elias' point of view started off was also gave a great first perspective on not only how tough the discipline is at Blackcliff Academy, but also what would happen if Elias did decide to desert like the kid that got caught. Both realities are described effortlessly and it gives the novel an awesome head start.

Laia's development from the start of the novel to the end was a tremendous change considering her courage and bravery. Through the hardships that she went through, too many for me to count, she seemed to take these and turn them into a fuel for purpose like they mention in the novel. At first, her only reason for seeking any sort of aid and hope was through saving her brother but I feel like she developed a lot throughout the book and ended up realising that in order to do good and be somewhat of a saviour to her people and the ones she loved, she had to rise up against the odds and snuff out whatever fear she had in order to become the Laia who would stand up for herself and others.

Elias I felt didn't have a major transformation in terms of courage or bravery. For him I feel like he more so developed a sense of righteousness in what he really believed in and the fact that Blackcliff Academy wasn't what it was made out to be by the Augurs, Masks and the Empire. His friendship with Helene was sweet and it was a true camaraderie throughout the novel, at some points I even felt like they would have been great together as a couple. Marcus absolutely grated my nerves but I think that was totally the point. You've gotta have the most annoying sidekick for the main villain. This is where I mention the Commandant; that low-life, selfish, wench (the best thing I can say without swearing) never had even the tiniest soft spot and I felt no sympathy for her whatsoever. I think that the disconnection between her and Elias, having no mother-and-son connection, really brought tension and purpose to the novel. I feel like she is the true villain of this novel through everything she had orchestrated and done to her slaves throughout the years at Blackcliff Academy.

I have to say that this novel was brilliant and heart-stopping, one of the best debut novels I have ever read and I truly cannot wait to see what is next! I have given this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars because I may not have obsessed over it like I did Throne of Glass, just due to my typical nature of truly loving the typical high/dark fantasy novels with faeries and magic, but this book was just enough to keep my heart pounding and aching for more.

Thank you HarperCollins New Zealand for the review copy! Go like their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/Harpercollinsnz?fref=ts

Go add An Ember In The Ashes to your Goodreads list HERE

Find more out about my writing career at:

http://ellafleming-christie.weebly.com

My YouTube Channel: FeathersandFaith

I created my first tag video for Booktube!: Character Habits Tag! - FeathersandFaith

Hey everyone! I finally created my own tag on YouTube! I came up with this idea surprisingly just by not being able to sleep one night! The following morning (after I eventually drifted off to sleep) I wrote everything down so I wouldn't forget it and then the next couple of weeks I spent most of my time sorting it out and figuring out how I would film everything and who I would tag.

Now that I have uploaded it, everyone who I tagged seem to be passionately keen to film their own versions of this and I am so thrilled to be able to hear that from them! I am so interested on seeing how they all portray this tag and what type of scenes/skits they'll do to interpret the characters they have chosen!

If you are wanting to do this tag video, I will leave the tag questions for you all down below!:


Choose a character:

1. Who is too clumsy for their own good
2. Who's love could save the world
3. Who makes decisions then suffers the consequences later
4. Who would die protecting their best friend
5. That would do anything for a family member
6. Who has a revenge plan to take over the world
7. Who is truly lethal, inside and out
8. Who is too serious to take a joke
9. Who has great leadership skills but doesn't realise it/doesn't want to accept responsibility
10. Who is an introvert and doesn't mind being alone


If you decide to do this tag then please comment the link to your video down below! If you have decided that you are not overly confident acting out a scene or talking in front of a camera but you would like to do it in the form of a blog post then you could take photos of you as the character doing their typical habit instead. Remember to also leave the link to your post down below as well so I can go check it out and even retweet it!

I hope you all enjoy this video and I promise that I have many more original videos in the process of being created now so there won't be a short supply of awesomeness! I love you all and I'll talk to you soon!

All the best,

Ella Fleming-Christie - FeathersandFaith xoxo

Find more out about my writing career at:

http://ellafleming-christie.weebly.com

My YouTube Channel: FeathersandFaith