The Revenge of Seven - Pittacus Lore

Before you read this review, please note that The Revenge of Seven is book five in the Lorien Legacies series.

I went into this book a little wary because it'd been a year and a half since I finished book four, The Fall of Five. I couldn't really remember what was going on other than the basics, and I was concerned it was going to take me a long time to get into it. Massive credit must go to Lore, as it turned out I hadn't forgotten any of the main characters.

Even though I was thrilled to fall back into the story without much  of a worry, I struggled to get into it. It felt really slow to start, especially because everything is running out of time and some serious battles are about to happen. I just wanted to get on with it. I couldn't help but feel like a lot was saved for the next book as, to be honest, not that much happened in this one. The Revenge of Seven felt a lot shorter and simpler than usual. It didn't feel like it had quite as much plot. Not that there wasn't enough going on -- there was -- but it didn't feel as much as usual. There was less action than usual too, but it was still pretty intense.

Once I got into it, I read huge chunks at a time, and it didn't take me many sittings to devour the whole thing. I even bought the last two books before I finished this one! This series sort of grabbed hold of me when I read I am Number Four, and it hasn't seemed to let go of me since. I still have no idea how the series is going to end, and I love that.

As before, I liked Six's narration the best, and I was disappointed when her chapters were over. Nine and Six are still my favourite characters, but I do love all the Garde. They're all so different from each other, which makes them interesting to read about and kept me turning pages. I have to say though, the human characters didn't grip me nearly as much.

Unfortunately, I've only just finished The 5th Wave trilogy, and as far as alien stories go, I can't help but compare. I know I shouldn't because John and the Garde are awesome and we're not so fussed by the humans in this seires, but I'm afraid the awesomeness of The 5th Wave did make this a little less exciting than it would've been a few months previous.

Even so, I had a wonderful time reading this book, and I can't wait for books six and seven to come through my letter box.

The Revenge of Seven felt like a filler book, but was still intense and gripping!


Molly Looby

Author / Editor in Chief at Molten Publishing / Freelance Editor / Writing Coach / Reviewer / Blogger / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Ready

molly@moltenpublishing.co.uk

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Happy Birthday Molten Publishing!

Thank you to everyone who's worked with us in the past year. I've loved every minute of it - almost - and although we've had our ups and downs, I wouldn't change it for the world. I have learnt so much more in the past year than I ever have before, and I love it!

And waking up on a Monday morning and actually wanting to get started with your work is a feeling like no other.

I am changed for the better, and I can't wait to see what the next year brings. It's going to be bigger and brighter, just you wait!

To celebrate our birthday, we can finally announce that our website is up and running! Go visit us there! 

Thanks for all the love and support. I don't know where I'd be without it.

Molly :)

Molly Looby

Author / Editor in Chief at Molten Publishing / Freelance Editor / Writing Coach / Reviewer / Blogger / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Ready

molly@moltenpublishing.co.uk

Visit me on Facebook / Twitter / LinkedIn / Movellas / NaNoWriMo

NaNo's Coming

I know it's only September, but in a blink, it'll be the 31st of October and you'll have to scrape your plans together ready for the starting whistle at midnight. You might not like the reminder, but there are only 56 days left until we're scribbling away into the night.

Unlike other years where I've blogged just before the start of NaNo, I thought this year I'd do one earlier to try and convince as many of you unsure writers as I can.

For those of you that don't know, NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month, where hundreds of thousands of writers plan to write a novel in November. More specifically, we pledge to write 50,000 words in 30 days.

Yes, it's as mental as it sounds.

But wait, before you run off into the distance screaming and waving your arms, I'm here to tell you it is an incredible experience. I've taken part in this madness for the past five years, and NaNo '16 will be my sixth year. NaNoWriMo, honestly, is one of the main reasons my writing improves year on year. There's nothing quite like writing only for yourself with only the pressure of word count to contend with. During NaNo, we don't care what our words sound like, only that they're making it onto the page. 

We are free.

I wouldn't miss a November for the world, and I want to share this magical experience with all of you. And I'm here to tell you that you can do it. And if you're still in doubt, there's no reason not to try. At the end of November, you could have a finished novel, and whether it's your first or fifty-first, there's nothing more amazing in the universe.

Please join us as we pledge to write 50,000 words in 30 days. It's only 1,667 words a day. I know you can do it.

The community is so fantastic and supportive as well. We help each other through times of hardship, sleep deprivation, and caffeine lows. I'll be cheering you on! Just add me as a buddy on NaNoWriMo's website. My username is MollyLooby, you can get to it here.

Give it a go. It might be just what your writing needs.

And Wrimos past and present, I'll be waiting for you at the starting line!

Molly Looby

Author / Editor in Chief at Molten Publishing / Freelance Editor / Writing Coach / Reviewer / Blogger / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Ready

molly@moltenpublishing.co.uk

Visit me on Facebook / Twitter / LinkedIn / Movellas / NaNoWriMo

The Thing About Dreams Is . . .

Now I've written many blog posts in the past to do with my self-published books and recently one to announce ZA and it's arrival in the world, and it's got me thinking about how dreams warp and change as we do.

When I first started writing, my dream was to finish a book. Then a trilogy. Write five books. Write ten. Now I'm not sure I'll hit another goal until I've written twenty-five, fifty, a hundred. What I do know is that I won't stop setting them.

I'm one of those people who loves to set huge goals and then race towards them with little time for celebration once the end has been reached. I might have a tiny celebratory whoop with my hands in the air before I move straight onto the next thing. When I was fifteen and I wrote the final full stop of my first novel, I mourned for a few days and then asked myself, so what should I write next? The answer to that was, a book's not challenging enough, let's write a trilogy.

Then when I was in the midst of doing that, I decided the next thing was to get published. Of course, I got rejected over and over (who doesn't?), and now with that beautiful thing called hindsight, I know my books weren't ready. But that didn't stop me ploughing towards my goal. I self-published all three of the trilogy, which was exhausting and stressful and . . . well, either you know the joy and pain of the self-publishing world or you don't. Let's just say I had mixed feelings.

Boom, another dream realised.

So why wasn't I satisfied?

Here I am typing this now, co-director and editor-in-chief of Molten Publishing, and I think maybe I'm getting somewhere. Sharing my knowledge with people and going around talking about books seems to be giving me much more joy than these stupid targets ever did.

Don't get me wrong, writing is my ultimate passion, and there's nothing like writing--and finishing--a book, but now I'm a little older and a little wiser, and I know that dreams aren't always what they seem.

I have officially landed in the publishing world, and I'm so excited to see what everyone thinks of Zane and ZA. And this time, I'm making the most of it.

Here's hoping my little whoops get louder. Maybe next time you'll hear them . . .


ZA will be back in stock on Amazon in September! Watch this space! :) #ZAReady

Molly Looby

Author / Editor in Chief at Molten Publishing / Freelance Editor / Writing Coach / Reviewer / Blogger / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Ready

molly@moltenpublishing.co.uk

Visit me on Facebook / Twitter / LinkedIn / Movellas / NaNoWriMo

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, Jack Thorne

I know a lot of people loved The Cursed Child and a lot of people were disappointed by it and that's fascinating to me. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and it made me want to watch the play even more than I already did!

It took a little while to get into the format. After all, I've never read a play for pleasure before. I wouldn't call it a challenge to read, it was more of a challenge for my imagination. But as usual, I relish challenges. It was a little bit bizarre not to have any description, and a lot of people felt like it lacked 'magic' because of it, but I'm a dialogue girl, so I got on with it really well. It was exciting to read something not quite like anything I've read before.

I laughed more than I thought I would. Maybe more than I was supposed to. Not sure if that's a fault or not. It might just be me. Those Potters are still full of sass. 

It didn't take long for me to be speeding through the pages. I couldn't turn them fast enough. I was so desperate to know what was going to happen next. I got so into Act Two that I actually felt my body growing hotter and hotter. At one point I shouted at the book like an idiot. I was so invested that I kept gasping. I did it so much that I started to annoy my fiancé. 

I read all of Act Two and almost Act Three in one go. I would've read all of Act Three in one goo too if not for needing to eat and sleep and stuff. Stupid human necessities.

Although I wanted to stop and savour it, for the life of me, I couldn't. I actually couldn't stop myself. And once I realised that I felt like an addict. I wanted to savour each page because I knew I could only have the experience of reading it for the fire time once, but nothing could stop me from devouring the pages. This book made me an addict. A regular reading junkie.

However, for most of the book I wanted to follow round adult Harry, Ron, and Hermione and that really isn't the point. It took much longer than it should've for me to become invested in Albus, and that kinda made me think I was focusing on the wrong thing. Don't get me wrong, I loved Albus. Though Scorpius Malfoy was easily my favourite character, and I am not alone in that opinion!

I did start getting jumbled at times, but at least I could stop and think about it. I'm glad I read the script first. This way I know I won't get confused!

Just one final thing, I know a lot of people are criticising this book by saying it reads like fanfiction, and it does, they're not wrong, but really? It's been nine years since we've had any Potter, and it's set well after the Deathly Hallows, so I don't think there would've been any way to avoid it sounding this way.

Whatever people think, I don't care. I loved every page.

I'm a true Potterhead forever!

Molly Looby

Author / Editor in Chief at Molten Publishing / Freelance Editor / Writing Coach / Reviewer / Blogger / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Ready

molly@moltenpublishing.co.uk

Visit me on Facebook / Twitter / LinkedIn / Movellas / NaNoWriMo

Being a Writer

Being a writer . . .


Waking up in the middle of the night to write something down.

Re-reading old notes and wondering what you were thinking.

Not writing something down and regretting it.

Having incredible ideas whilst out walking, in the shower, watching TV. Sit in front of a computer: nothing.

This is the best thing ever! Everyone will love this! This is the worst thing I've ever written. Why would anyone be interested in this rubbish. Repeat.

Constructing fantastic sentences on paper. Sounds like you don't know English when you speak.

Write thousands of words and feel like a superhero. The next day you write three sentences and want to go back to bed.

NaNoWriMo is a word you both love and hate to hear.

What's that word? Oh no. I know it's a word. Check Thesaurus. But I swear there's a word that should be here!

I'll just check *insert social media app*.

What an awesome backstory. So excited to reveal it. Never reveal it/ reveal too much and ruin character.

But that's not what they would do.

No, I'm not crazy.

Where's that notebook? Search through twenty and get distracted.

But first, tea/coffee.

Spending hours researching something complicated and never using it in the story.

Bored of having to explain to people why you won't be the next *insert famous author*.

Talk about writing because someone asked, only to realise they stopped listening.

Why don't you write *insert genre you do not write*?

Getting halfway through a story and three new ideas pop into your head.

Finishing a story and all other ideas vanish.

Writing something you're proud of only for your first reader to hate it.

Reading over your old work and cringing.

Having more imaginary friends than real friends.

Where is this story going? Somewhere good I hope.

Spending all day writing and someone asks how much you've written: "that's not important."

Using *insert video game/TV show/book* as research.

Having a very disturbing Google search history.

The pressure of writing competitions is too much.

Staring at a computer screen all day but not touching the keyboard nearly enough.

Having to look up grammar rules because you're doubting yourself.

Questioning the very fabric of the universe.

Picking apart the human psyche and discovering that humans are disturbing.

Wat r werds?



But I wouldn't change my hobby for anything.




Molly Looby

Author / Editor in Chief at Molten Publishing / Freelance Editor / Writing Coach / Reviewer / Blogger / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Ready

molly@moltenpublishing.co.uk

Visit me on Facebook / Twitter / LinkedIn / Movellas / NaNoWriMo

The Last Star - Rick Yancey

Before you read my review, you should know that The Last Star is the 3rd book in The 5th Wave trilogy (which you should read right now!). You have been warned.

I was half excited and half terrified to read The Last Star. I loved every sentence of this series, and I didn't want it to end. Plus, I knew if I read it, characters were going to die. But I had to brave it. I couldn't put it off any longer, even though I knew it was going to break me.

For some reason, it took me a little longer than normal to get into it. Maybe because I was terrified. But once I got into it, I felt myself reading too fast, but I didn't know how to stop. I did get to a point where I almost put the book down because I knew I was getting closer and closer to the end. I almost put the book down to save it. Almost. But I couldn't. I had to cover the words with my hand until it was time to read them. It was almost impossible to resist the urge to look ahead.

As with the previous two, The Last Star surprised and wowed me with little bits and pieces. Some of the sentences were just so right, they really struck home. As usual, such beautiful observations. Humanity has never been torn down and ripped into its bare basic form as much as it is in The Last Star. It's a masterpiece. Truly.

"No one tells you how close rage is to lust. I mean, the space between molecules is thicker."

As well as the beautiful thoughts and insights into human nature, the narration, as usual, was spot on. I've said it before, and I'm going to say it again, I totally adored Cassie's narration. It's so perfect. She couldn't sound any more real than she already does. And I'm so jealous of Yancey's skill.

The Last Star really is a rollercoaster ride. One minute I was laughing, the next I was trying not to cry. At one point, I had to put the book down to have a little cry. I've cried at many books in my time, but hardly ever have I had to put a book down to do so.

I'm not sure I have enough words to express how phenomenal this series is. There are literally no words for how mind-blowing The Last Star is. It made me think about life, love, fear, hope, faith, humanity. Everything. Like The Infinite Sea before it, this book tore me down and rebuilt me. Better. Stronger. This book did more than keep me entertained for a few hours. This book became me. I can't explain it any other way.
I am Cassie.
I am humanity.

I wanted to weep like a baby when I finished. I need a stronger word than beautiful. But that's all I have. Beautiful. I wrote down three goddamn pages of notes, and it'll never be praise enough.

New favourite book of the year. Dare I say it, new favourite book, period.


Molly Looby

Author / Editor in Chief at Molten Publishing / Freelance Editor / Writing Coach / Reviewer / Blogger / Wrimo / Movellian / ZA Ready

molly@moltenpublishing.co.uk

Visit me on Facebook / Twitter / LinkedIn / Movellas / NaNoWriMo