Saturday Song - The Talisman by Iron Maiden & The Invasion of the Tearling!

Hello there guys!

This week I've been rather out of motivation and time to blog, and the stupid heat wave has not been helping matters.

But today as I was driving back from my bro's house from hanging out with my sis-in-law, I was listening to Iron Maiden and one of the songs just clicked, made me think of a book and I decided I needed to do another of the rare Saturday Song posts that I do!




As I was thinking about the lyrics of the song and how they related to parts of the book, not completely but some parts are really relevant, I was also thinking that I really cannot explain all that much, because I'm afraid that there could be some serious spoilers involved!

The Talisman is a song that could refer to the crossing of the Pilgrims from the UK to the new land of the Americas, the Mayflower and the lot, though we don't know if they used any sort of talisman to guide their travels. But the lyrics really reminded me of another travel across the seas looking for a better place, like the Crossing that took place and it's explained on The Invasion of the Tearling, and in said Crossing, there IS a sort of talisman! And can't say anymore because... Spoilers sweetie!!

And for anyone that might have read the book and even those who haven't, here are some of the lyrics that made me think of the Crossing!

"We flee the earth and face our
Harsh reality."

"We run from the evil tongues,
Rash judgements, selfish men
Never to be seen on these shores again."

 "We're off now to seek all our fortunes
To the land of our dreams"

 "Holding on for our dear lives
And we're praying once again
rotten luck or just jonahed?
The talisman is in my hand"

And that's all folks! Have you read The Invasion of the Tearling? Do you think my brain did the right connection with the song or went completely off course?

Happy Saturday everyone!

Saturday Pages: The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen!!

Happy Saturday guys!

Today I'm happy to share a new review for this week's Saturday Pages, and one book I got thanks to the giveaway I won from Rachel from Fiktshun on the Review Pile Challenge December giveaway.

It was one of the books in my Alyssa Recommends list and after reading Layla's review for it on The Midnight Garden, Wendy's recommendation, I finally decided to give it a try despite the previous mixed reviews from my bloggy canaries, so it is my January AR book!

And since I made the Alyssa Recommends books one of my categories in the 105 Challenge, this one is the first one for that category!

The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is one of those books that I was utterly intrigued about since I saw the summary, but given the mixed reviews from many of my canaries, some very positive and other very negative, so I just couldn't decide whether to read it or not.

Then I saw another review that simply made me excited for it, won a giveaway and decided to choose this one as one of the books, and not only that, this was also one of my Alyssa Recommends books!

As soon as I started this book I realized that I was intrigued and within the first two chapters I was well and truly hooked. Kelsea was a character that I couldn't help both frowning at and rooting for her all through the book. She had self esteem issues which were complex and well developed, she was taught to rely on her brain and not to care about her physical looks, but she still wishes she was more like her mother, the beautiful Queen. But her will to do what's right, to try and fight for her people and then her absolute love for books completely conquered me!

The world building was both intriguing and maddening, we get hints and pieces of history before each chapter and we get snippets of information now and then, but it's like working ona gigantic puzzle being given the right pieces but not knowing what the final image will look like. We are given enough information to know that there's certain dystopian-ness to it, but it's also very clearly fantasy, so it seems like a very interesting mix of genres.

Kelsea was hidden for most of her life, knowing she had to train to become a queen when the time came but she was kept in the dark about her mother's past, the current going-on's in the kingdom and even her own parentage. Then her Queen's Guard arrive to take her to be crowned, if she can survive that long. And there starts the adventure, with attacks on her life, trying to prove herself worthy of being called Queen, and discovering that she can have unexpected allies, like a half Mort woman that will become her Seer and the Father of Thieves and the Queen's Guard, not only by duty to the institution but to herself as Queen.

There's murder, betrayal, abuse, missuse of power and a wonderful analysis of the need for religion and how history seems to repeat itself, with or without our knowledge of said history. A fantastic and fascinating book that I enjoyed loads, very much deserving of 4 to 4.5 stars. Now I cannot wait to find out more in the sequel!!



View all my reviews

Tell Me Tuesdays #25!!

Tell Me Tuesdays is a meme/feature created by the awesome ladies of Please Feed The Bookworm and La La In The Library, where we can share how we choose the book we are currently reading from our TBR pile!

I'm always curious about that, cause as much as I tend to make myself a rough schedule for books to read and the like, I'm quite a mood reader and sometimes I just HAVE to ignore my schedule and read something else!

The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen


Her throne awaits . . . if she can live long enough to take it.

It was on her nineteenth birthday that the soldiers came for Kelsea Glynn. They’d come to escort her back to the place of her birth – and to ensure she survives long enough to be able to take possession of what is rightfully hers.

But like many nineteen-year-olds, Kelsea is unruly, has high principles and believes she knows better than her elders. Unlike many nineteen-year-olds, she is about to inherit a kingdom that is on its knees – corrupt, debauched and dangerous.

Kelsea will either become the most fearsome ruler the kingdom has ever known . . . or be dead within the week.

Combining thrilling adventure and action, dark magic, mystery and romance, The Queen of the Tearling is the debut of a born storyteller blessed with a startling imagination.

 Ensnared by A.G. Howard

 After surviving a disastrous battle at prom, Alyssa has embraced her madness and gained perspective. She’s determined to rescue her two worlds and the people and netherlings she loves. Even if it means challenging Queen Red to a final battle of wills and wiles . . . and even if the only way to Wonderland, now that the rabbit hole is closed, is through the looking-glass world—-a parallel dimension filled with mutated and sadistic netherling outcasts.

In the final installment of the Splintered trilogy, Alyssa and her dad journey into the heart of magic and mayhem in search of her mom and to set right all that’s gone wrong. Together with Jeb and Morpheus, they must salvage Wonderland from the decay and destruction that has ensnared it. But even if everyone succeeds and comes out alive, can they all truly have their happily ever after?



This week I'm taking a lil breather from reading ARCs and enjoying the feel of reading some physical books! I'm finally reading Ensnared, the highly awaited finaly book in the Splintered trilogy, and I'm doing a buddy read with Britt from Please Feed the Bookworm! And I'm also finally reading my Alyssa Recommends book for January: The Queen of the Tearling! After not only having Alyssa recommend it, but also Wendy and Layla from The Midnight Garden highly recommend it, I had to read it already!

 So what are you all guys reading and how and why did you decide to pick up that book? Shiny new ARC? Comfort read? Scheduled for review? Must have new release? Tell me!!