This Mortal Coil (This Mortal Coil #1), by Emily Suvada

Hey guys, this is Abi here,

And I've kind of thrown reviews to the side in the past couple of months. Granted, I did say I only wanted to post reviews for books that I have a lot of thoughts on, but I haven't posted any in months!

So, why not start the year with a review? I finished this book last night and it is the perfect time to post a review!

Enjoy!

Title: This Mortal Coil

Author: Emily Suvada

Genre: Sci-fi

Release date: 30th October, 2017

Status: Book 1 in a trilogy

Pages: 450

Blurb: "My darling girl, if you're reading this, it means

I am dead. I know you want to grieve,

but there is something I need you to do.

When a lone soldier, Cole, arrives with news of

Lachlan Agatta's death, all hope seems lost for Catarina.

Her father was the world's leading geneticist, and

humanity's best hope of beating a devastating virus.

Then, hidden beneath Cole's genehacked enhancements,

she finds a message of hope: Lachlan created a vaccine.

But only she can find and decrypt it... if she can

unravel the clues he left for her.

The closer she gets, the more she finds herself at risk from

Cartaxus, a shdowy organization with the stronghold on

the world's genetic tech. But it's too late to turn back.

There are three billion lives at stake, two people who can

save them, and one final secret that Cat can unlock.

A secret that will change everything."

My Thoughts

Reading through this: I was trying to decide "Do I like this?" Because, to be honest, it could have gone either way.

There were factors I liked, but there were factors that could have been done better, in my opinion.

The story starts with Catarina, her father, and her (more than) friend Dax are coding, when Cartaxus (a company that has taken over basically) arrive to take Catarina's father, and Dax under their will. Catarina is warned to stay away, to never let them take her.

The story continues two years later, when Catarina is left fatherless and penniless, in the struggle to survive the Hydra Virus, a Virus that makes people explode within three days of having been infected. Of course, there's one immunisation: To eat living flesh of the people that have been infected. There's also the Wrath, a condition that takes control of your brain and your body, so that the only thing you want to do is feast on other's living flesh.

So, that feeling of survival was something that was done really well.

A recurring theme that was also done well was the intensity. It was a high intensity novel overall, and it was basically a race against time, to release the vaccine that Catarina's father created before the world dies out, and the mix between the need to save the world as well as the intensity was something that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Also, Suvada was on point with the end of each chapter. Each time I picked up this book, I was always thinking "One more chapter". But as soon as I got to the end, something would happen that would want me to carry on reading it. These end of chapters were why I read this so quickly, despite  the length of the story.

Those are the points that I enjoyed. This is what I thought needed work.

First of all, at the start, I really had to commit to the story and reading through the start. Not only was it kind of info dumpy at the start (though this was kind of necessary because I wouldn't have understood half of it if it hadn't been like that- another bad point, which I'll get to in a minute.)

But what I'm getting at is that the explanations could have more spread out, and smoother, instead of just info dumping each part all at once.

Also, I felt like you have to be a major sci-fi fan to want to carry on reading, especially at the start (this is what I was talking about a second ago). But the jargon used in this book, was so scientific, that I could barely digest myself through it to get the gist of what they were talking about. I got that it was a sci-fi language heavy story, but what could have definitely have been done better was to tone down the language used to explain all the sci-fi elements to the story.

Also, the characters. They were all super smart, but that was really their only redeeming quality. The rest I'd already seen somewhere before. Catarina's character development was decent, and it was something that I wasn't expecting, but I got the feeling that it could have been bigger. I didn't see it coming, like at all, but looking back, I felt that they could have been covered up, so I was more surprised in the long run.

Overall, it was a decent read. There were some things that I could have been written in better, and some parts to be improved on, but overall, it was a solid 4 star read, and I would be happy to continue, especially the way the story was left. There are a few things that I hope they carry on, but at this point I have no clue as to how the story will go.

I would recommend this to anybody that love heavy sci-fi and is in the mood to start a new series!

So that is my review of This Mortal Coil, by Emily Suvada! I hope you enjoyed it, and let me know in the comments what you thought!

I hope you have a lovely weekend, and I will see you all on Monday!

Byeeeee!

-Abi xxxxx

Most Anticipated Releases for 2018!

Hey guys, this is Abi here,

And with a new year comes a new butt-ton of book releases- that I can't wait for them to be released!

They range from next month all the way through to December, and I can't wait for any of them.

What I think I'm going to do is release them in order of publication.

1. Deception (Dark Matters #2), by Teri Terry

Although I wasn't the biggest fan of the first book in the series, Teri Terry still remains an auto-buy author and I continue to read her books. Thank-fully I don't have long to wait until Deception is released and I get to jump back into the sci-fi crazy world that Teri Terry has created. 

Release date: 8th February

2. Renegades (Renegades #1), by Marissa Meyer

Now, I don't know too much about this book, except for the fact that it includes superheroes, and it involves a girl and a boy working together. However one of them is after justice, and the other is after REVENGE, which ought to be interesting. Also, every book that I have read by Marissa Meyer I have loved, which is enough for me!

Release date: 5th April

3. War Storm (Red Queen #4), by Victoria Aveyard

Now, I have almost half a year to finish King's Cage, but rest assured, it is quite an intimidating book. Nevertheless, I shall read it, because I want to pick this next book up as soon as it is released, and as soon as I can get my hands on it. I have no idea what it is about, having not read the third book. But I'm looking forward to reading it regardless.

Release date: 15th May

4. Legendary (Caraval #2), by Stephanie Garber

To be honest, I was kind of happy with how Caraval ended. But if there's another book, I'm reading it. Also, Caraval was one of my favourites from last year, and it was because of the undertone of mystery, of not knowing what was real. My expectations are high, and I would love to see my love of Caraval continued in Legendary.

Release date: 29th May

5. Midnight (Skulduggery Pleasant #11), by Derek Landy

Release date: June 2018

At present, there is no cover for this. It was only a couple of weeks ago that the release date was revealed. I am now fully caught up with the series, and ready to pick up the next one when it's released in June. This is one of those that I will continue to read, and I feel like this is a global thing as well. There is a group of people that have grown up with this series. But whatever happens, I know the 11th instalment to this series will be incredible. And I can't wait for it to be released.

6. As The Curtain Falls, by Carrie Hope Fletcher

Although I'm not madly in love with the premise of this book, because it involves ghosts that were in love 70 years ago coming back to haunt people now, and a couple trying to conceal and save those ghosts before tragedy repeats itself, there is something about it being Carrie Hope Fletcher's writing, that her stories always involve hope as a general theme, and it takes place in a theatre!

Release date: 12th July

7. Songs About A Boy (Songs About A Girl #3), by Chris Russell

The third and final book to the Songs About A Girl. A tiny part is sad that it's ending because I love this trilogy, but a bigger part is desperate to know what happens to Charlie Bloom and all the other characters. I really have no idea how Chris Russell will wrap up this trilogy, but I cannot wait to find out!

Release date: 2nd August

8. Queen of Air and Darkness (The Dark Artifices #3), by Cassandra Clare

Again, I haven't yet caught up with this trilogy, but since the release date is 4th December, I have some time at least. But even though I've only read Lady Midnight, I have a feeling that I will want to continue after Lord of Shadows because 1) of the amazing reviews that I have been hearing since it was released, and 2) I'll be caught up on the trilogy when I finish Lord of Shadows, so why should I continue? Looking forward to picking this up (even though it's released at the end of the year).

Release date: 4th December

So that is all I have for you guys today! What anticipated releases are you waiting for in particular? Let me know in the comments, so we can talk about it!

I will see you all on Friday, so happy reading, and I'll see you then!

Byeeeee!

-Abi xxxxx

January TBR (2018)

Hey guys, this is Abi here,

And I hope you had a fantastic new year!

But now it's 2018, and with a new Goodreads reading challenge, comes another monthly TBR!

Here's my January TBR!

1. This Mortal Coil (This Mortal Coil #1), by Emily Suvada

So, I'm already about 50 pages into this, and although all the sci-fi is a bit hard to handle, like it goes straight into it, I already know that I will be continuing on with the series after this release. Just the attention to detail, and the world that has already been described to me has me biting at the bit to pick this book up after I've finished this TBR. One critic I have at this point is that you need to be concentrating when reading this, or else you'll miss something. More details, either in a wrap up, or a review.

2. Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer #1), by Laini Taylor

This is now the second book that I will be picking up in January, and so I have no reason not to have finished it by the time my wrap up is up at the end of January. I have heard a million times about Laini Taylor's beautifully poetic and lyrically style to her writing, and I can't wait to start this book!

3. Three Dark Crowns (Three Dark Crowns #1), by Kendare Blake

4. One Dark Crowns (Three Dark Crowns #2), by Kendare Blake

I figured that I may as well re-read Three Dark Crowns, if not to get the full impact of the story, but to recap on what happened in the first story. Three Dark Crowns was one of my favourite books of 2017, and I'm hoping that One Dark Throne continues that hype, because One Dark Throne has had nothing but fantastic reviews.

This is one world that I cannot wait to get back into, and hopefully the second is just as good!

5. Stealing Snow, by Danielle Paige

I tried to read this a year and a bit ago, and there was something about the writing that I just didn't click with. Yes, it was cold, and perfectly captured what you'd associate with a snow white retelling, but there was nothing I could like about the book. I think, if I don't click with it this time, I might just DNF it. But as of now, I am giving it another chance to see if I read and relate to anything different this time.

So, that is my January TBR (2018)! Let's get the year off to a good start, and read some incredible books! And don't forget to let me know what you guys plan to read this month!

That is all I have for you guys today, and I will see you all on Wednesday, with my Anticipated Releases for 2018!

I hope you have a lovely day, and I will see you then!

Byeeeee!

-Abi xxxxxx