Review – ‘Abounding Might’ by Melissa McShane

Title:  Abounding Might
Author: Melissa McShane
Genre:  Fantasy, Romance, Alternate History
Date of Publication: 3rd October, 2017
Page Count: 363 pages (ebook)
Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

Calcutta, 1813. Lady Daphne St. Clair, who as an Extraordinary Bounder is capable of transporting herself anywhere in the world with a thought, has longed to serve in the Army for years. But an unexpected weakness at the sight of blood makes her responsible for a good man’s death in battle. Unable to serve on the battlefield, Daphne is sent to India to be transportation for the Governor-General’s wife and children. In disgrace, Daphne fears she will never achieve the fame and glory she has worked so hard for.

A chance encounter with Captain Phineas Fletcher, attached to the Honourable East India Company as a troubleshooter and investigator, leads to Daphne being given a new opportunity: help Captain Fletcher discover the truth behind a series of strange occurrences in the town of Madhyapatnam. Daphne is willing to do anything to restore her reputation, even something as small as Captain Fletcher’s investigation. As the days progress, her attachment to the members of the team grows deeper, as does her growing attraction to the captain.

But as Daphne and Captain Fletcher dig deeper into the mystery, the truth turns out to be much more sinister than anyone imagined. Dark currents run deep beneath the pleasant surface of Madhyapatnam, and the echoes of a twenty-year- old story threaten not only the Company’s rule over the town, but the safety and well-being of everyone in it. Soon only Daphne’s talent and courage stand between Madhyapatnam and the evil that threatens to overwhelm it.

I absolutely adored the first book in this series (‘Burning Bright‘ reviewed here) and skipped the second as the plot didn’t appeal to my personal tastes, but I was intrigued by ‘Abounding Might‘. While it didn’t match the high standards of book 1, which was practically perfect in my eyes, it was still an immensely enjoyable read with a riveting plot and endearing characters.

The Book Crate – October 2017: Something Is Lurking!

The Book Crate is an Australian book subscription box “for newly released young adult books and other goodies straight to your door.”

The Book Crate
Cost: $30.00 AUD
Shipping Costs: $15 within Australia; $25 worldwide
Payment Method: Paypal or Direct Bank Transfer
Mailed Out: between the 15-20th of each month

The Book Crate has just begun shipping internationally, and the cost is only $25 AUD! With the Australian dollar being less than the American dollar, buying this would work out to be in a similar price range as most US boxes – for eg. Hoot Loot Box is about $39 USD and LitJoy Crate is $40.47 USD, while $55 AUD for this box converts to $43 USD.

Hoot Loot Box – September 2017: Vile & Villainous

HootLoot is a book subscription box that features a fresh, new YA book each month along with a combination of boutique bath and beauty samples, bookish treasures, apparel, and exclusive author content.

Hoot Loot Box
Cost: $29.99 USD
Shipping Costs: $9 within the US, $15 to Canada and $25 worldwide
Payment Method: Credit Card & Paypal
Mailed Out: from the 15th every other month

‘Masked’ by J D Wright

Title:  Masked
Author: J D Wright
Genre:  Young Adult, Fantasy/Science Fiction
Date of Publication: 15th August, 2017
Page Count: 220 pages (ebook)
Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

Vada’s To-Do List:

– Turn 18 (check!)
– Register super name
– Order supersuit
– Attend superhero indoctrination
– Graduate high school
– Start kicking criminal tail

Vada Lawson can’t wait to be a superhero. Born into a family with special powers, she’s been training to fight criminals and villains her whole life. But her indoctrination into the underground super community is derailed when normals start breaking out in superpowers themselves.

Not trained to control their new abilities, the normals are frightened and vulnerable. Then their mutilated corpses begin turning up all over town. What the heck?

Somehow, with the help—and hindrance—of an annoying newly-minted super named Orion, Vada has to stop the chaos before it destroys her and everything she holds dear…and ruins her superhero debut.

No one ever said that being a superhero was easy… 

After tremendously enjoying Dreadnought about a teenage girl with newly discovered superpowers trying to make a difference, I thought I would equally enjoy Masked, about a couple of teens with powers using them for good. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. I try to find the good in anything I read, but this book was a long hard slog with very little to reward my perseverance.

Shelflove Crate – September 2017: ‘Space Explorers’

Shelflove Crate is a YA book subscription box that is “specially assembled with a newly released Fantasy or Sci-Fi YA book and 3 or more theme-based items”

Shelflove Crate
Cost: $29.99 USD
Shipping Costs: $7.99 for US, $14.99 for Canada and $22.99 worldwide
Payment Method: Credit Card
Mailed Out: from the 20th onward each month