Earlier this year I reviewed A Mighty Dawn by Theodore Brun on my blog as part of a blog tour with the wonderful people over at Corvus and now I'm reviewing the second book in the series (thanks for the early signed copy)! We all know by now that fantasy is one of my favourite genres, along with historical fiction, so I knew I was going to love this two book series.
*A Sacred Storm by Theodore Brun (688 pages) ★★★ (3.75...so so close, again)
The first book in this duology had a stunning cover (thankfully so does the second) and it had a similar number of pages, although this second book is a little longer; however don't be put off my the length of the books as even though they're over 600 pages, they read like 400 page books as you don't want to stop reading, it's an 'easy' read and thankfully the text is pretty large - tiny text is one of my bookish pet peeves!
Within the first book we follow Hakan, son of the Lord of the Northern Jutes, who experiences a life changing tragedy which forces him to find himself, re-evaluate his life and find his purpose which leads him on an arduous adventure with hardship, friendship and peril along the way.
The second book carries on from the events of the previous book so I can't say too much about the plot as it would definitely spoil the first (go and read the first book, it's only 99p as an e-book on Amazon). However, I can say that it has the same tone, action, camaraderie and viking warriors as the first book along with forbidden love, power play between kingdoms, revenge and a fair few sex scenes (some were relevant/pertinent to the story but a couple were a little unnecessary) as well as some epic battles, gore and a rather gruesome sacrifice! The latter point reminded me of a few scenes from the History channel TV show, Vikings (which I love).
As with the previous book I loved the quick, easy and engaging writing style along with the viking age setting and the camaraderie, friendship and relationship between two of my favourite characters, Erlan and Kai. I loved the battles scene, general fight scenes and the elements of magic as well as the main characters and the classic adventure storyline/themes.
A Sacred Storm received exactly the same star rating as the first book which was incredibly close to a solid four star read or more but there were a couple of negatives for me including the apparent need of almost every woman that Erlan meets to sleep with him...really. Additionally, I wanted more! I loved the world Brun has created, the characters of Erlan, Kai and Lilia as well as the unexplored magic elements so I wish there were more books in this series. Considering both books, I think the first is my favourite but it's a very close call!
Have you read the first book, A Mighty Dawn? Do you like fantasy books, TV shows or movies? What are you currently reading?
Father's Day in the UK is less than one week away (it's this coming Sunday) but there is still plenty of time to buy gifts so today's post is my final Father's Day gift guide featuring a range of amazing brands including Teapigs, Cheerz, Crabtree and Evelyn, Thames and Hudson and Temple Spa, all of which are brands that I love!
I have been very lucky to work with the super lovely people over at Teapigs a few times previously reviewing their Matcha Green Tea Drinks, Feel Good Teas and some of their gifts as part of one of my Last Minute Gift Guides last year. Within todays gift guide, I'm including some of their newer flavours in the feel good teas range including the 'trim', 'happy' and 'calm' flavour options.
The feel good tea flavours are all fantastic and my favourite of the three has to be the 'trim' tea which includes guarana seed, rosehip, hibiscus and peach - the flavour is so summery, fresh and fruity which I love at this time of the tea. The feel good tea options are fantastic as gifts as they not only look so colourful and cute but they also taste lovely, they can help in specific ways depending on what tea you buy and they'd be perfect to add into a hamper.
I've also tried their peach lemonade, peppermint, apple and cinnamon and green tea with mint and I cannot recommend them enough, they're all delicious and would also be great for a Father's Day hamper too. If you want something a little more summery then the matcha green tea drinks are ideal particularly for spring/summer picnics.
Next up is a gift idea that I love, mugs! I have so many mugs but somehow I need more mugs and there are quite a few on Teapigs that are so cute, including this adorable stag mug. The stag mug comes in a gift box and looks so nice as a gift. The design is very simple with a stag illustration and quote on the handle but you know I'm a fan of minimal design. Mugs are a great gift idea, they'd also be great to add to a hamper as I've done along with tea and a keep cup.
Lastly from the super generous people at Teapigs is probably my favourite eco-cup design, it's the Teapigs keep cup. Keep cups are made of durable glass, BPA free plastic and sustainable sourced cork so it's an environmentally friendly made reusable cup that would be perfect to take to work, on the go or to a picnic!
I love the cute, compact design although it does hold 340ml so it's bigger than it looks (like the Tardis of reusable cups) and it would be ideal for tea or coffee (or hot chocolate). It isn't a thermal cup but it's great for on the go rather than storing hot drinks for a long time. I've been using mine off and on recently while visiting a few historic houses around Manchester and Cheshire (follow me on instagram to come along with me).
Speaking of brands that I love and have worked with multiple times over the past year or so (and I've bought items from them as well), is Cheerz. Cheerz is a French brand focusing on wonderful photograph gifts including photo albums, canvases, memory boxes, magnets and more. One of their newer products, along with their canvases, are these wonderfully designed framed photos which come in a wide variety of options. I have the 20cm by 20cm framed photo with four photos included but you could opt for just one photo. The other size options include: 40cm by 40cm, 40cm by 60cm and 50cm by 70cm.
As well as being able to change the frame size and number of photos, you can also change the colour of the frame from white and black to oak, I chose the latter even though it's a little more expensive because it matches our living room and kitchen decor really well. Photos for the frames can be uploaded from your computer or social media including facebook and instagram which is so handy although for my Father's Day gift, I opted for older photos of my dad, our family and a rather cute photo of myself and my sister back in the 90's. I cannot recommend Cheerz in general enough as their products are so cute, they make unique personalised gifts and the quality is amazing.
Both the frames and the retro prints are both reduced for Father's Day and the last day for standard shipping in time for Father's Day is TODAY (11th). The last day for express shipping is the 13th so you still have time. It's so easy to order, especially using their free app! Use the code: 10BEAUTY to get 10% off your order but you have to hurry as it ends on the 17th June!
From January 2016 I started reading again after not reading fiction for around ten years (apart from maybe three books per year); however since then I've fallen in love with reading and I'm surpassing my yearly goals by 237% (2017) and 142% (2017). Since I started reading again I've had to discover my favourite genres and one of them is definitely quirky non-fiction and Sentinels Of The Sea definitely fits into that category!
Sentinels Of The Sea is a quirky and incredibly beautifully designed non-fiction read all about the history of lighthouses, from the very early designs to the engineering and designs used today as well as some of the main individuals involved in that evolution. As well as an easy to follow history, it also contains so many blueprint style photographs and diagrams of lighthouses throughout the world which I loved! Additionally, the cover matches the beautiful content within as it too is stunning. I have a few books from Thames and Hudson that are of a similar style including one about dentistry, surgery and another about 'madness' - I've only read the dentisty book so far but I can't wait to read the others. If you're looking for a quirky, beautiful book for Father's Day then look no further. Check out my GoodReads for my book ratings.
Now onto a couple of pampering products because dads deserve some pampering too! My dad doesn't like anything too 'girly'...but he does love hand cream and aftershave, the latter he receives all the time so hand creams are a safe, practical gift. Crabtree and Evelyn is a fantastic, high quality and effective pampering brand with a range of fantastic gifts for Father's Day! I've tried the hand cream and it's so lovely, rich and moisturising but it isn't very greasy or heavy on the skin, thankfully. It contains so many gorgeous ingredients such as cucumber, sage and rosemary extracts which makes for a perfect hand cream. This hand cream is currently on sale on their site!
The final gift idea is from another wonderful pampering and beauty brand, Temple Spa. I absolutely adored their room spray, diffuser, concealer and mascara so I'm very confident that I'm going to love all of their products as they're not only very high quality but smell lovely and they're so effective.
This unisex set contains their frequent use shampoo, everyday hair conditioner, aromatic bath and shower gel and their calming skin balm, all of which are 50ml sizes so they'd be perfect for a weekend away. I love the packaging, all of the products are so well designed and presented and they smell so nice! I love the sets and gift options from Temple Spa as they look so luxe and expensive, I can't recommend them enough. They offer free delivery on orders over £50 and you can get 10% off if you sign up to their newsletter.
That's it for final Father's Day gift guide for 2018, luckily this year I've been able to share quite a lot of gift ideas from so many wonderful and lovely brands, especially those included in todays final post! I love all of the gifts included and if you still haven't bought anything for your dad or grandad yet then you still have time. I hope my gift guides have given you some Father's Day or birthday gift ideas! Check out my video for a few shot clips of some of the gifts in my gift guide!
What do you think of the gifts included in my final Father's Day gift guide? Do you have any gift ideas?
If you didn't know I've had an almost entirely vegan diet for the past three years with between 70% to 95% of my diet being vegan (meat, fish, dairy, gelatine and egg free). Unlike my switch to a vegetarian diet at the very young age of 11 which I chose to stick to overnight, my switch to a vegan diet has been gradual which I think is a good way to do it. I've started posting more about my diet on instagram and I'm planning so many vegan recipes so stay tuned for those but todays post is a list of a few of my vegan essentials:
Rice, Beans & Pulses
Let's start with the basics and one thing that I always see about 'cons' of the vegan lifestyle is that it's more expensive which isn't the case at all. In my opinion any lifestyle (whether you eat meat, you're a vegetarian or if you're vegan), is as expensive as you make it - you can buy the most expensive cuts of meat or delicacies; alternatively you can buy the most inexpensive items.
"Data published by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) shows healthier foods bought in super markets tend to have a smaller price tag than their unhealthier counterparts" - The Independent 2017
Rice, beans and pulses are some of the cheapest foods, although organic foods do tend to be a little pricier (you obviously don't have to buy organic if you don't want to) but I think that Indigo Herbs has an amazing range of organic wholefoods at really reasonable prices! They have a wide range of rice and lentil varieties. I use rice quite a lot for vegan fried rice *drools*, sushi bowls or stir frys. Additionally, beans such as butterbeans are ideal for adding an interesting texture and protein to your salads or blended with plant milk into a creamy dressing or dip (you do need a high powered blender for this though, I use my Nutribullet).
Nutritional Yeast, Herbs & Spices
Next up are essentials for anyone, herbs and spices. I use dried herbs and spices every single day and some of my favourites have to include basil (with pasta or salad), tarragon (with pasta, dips, dressing or sauce), garlic pepper (on pretty much everything), chives (for vegan ranch) and nutmeg (great with creamy pasta or eggs/egg replacer).
One cooking ingredient that I hadn't heard of until becoming vegan is nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is deactivated yeast, that's all, it's nothing unusual but it has such a nice savoury, nutty and slightly cheese flavour. To me it isn't very cheesy (although some people think it is) but I think it's more like salted crisps...I love it blended into cheese sauce or sprinkled onto salad or pasta.
Cashew Nuts & Protein
Speaking of cheese sauce, the most delicious vegan cheese sauce is made with soaked cashew nuts. I've already posted a recipe for vegan mac 'n' cheese using a cashew based sauce so you can check it out for the recipe - I also have an updated low fat version recipe. Nuts are high in fat so I only tend to use them on occasion but soaked cashew nuts blended with plant milk and herbs makes the most incredibly smooth, super creamy and yummy sauce - you don't need single cream when you can use cashew nuts!
Last but not least is another item I don't use too often but it's something I sometimes use in my smoothies - protein powders. I think they'd be great if you are more into your fitness or if you don't want to include other protein sources in your diet. I've tried a couple of pea protein powders and they have been my favourites so far.
Are you vegan or vegetarian? Are any of these foods part of your diet? Have you bought anything from Indigo Herbs?
*This is a sponsored post *Images from Indigo Herbs
It's almost summer which means that it's a perfect time for road trips around the country! I used to go camping with my friends and family around the UK growing up which felt like a road trip as we went to Cornwall, Dorset and various places in Wales and Scotland which are all a fair drive away from Manchester. I'd love to go on a road trip around the UK again as there are so many cities that I need to visit including Bath, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Penzance, Oxford and Cambridge! Here are some of my top tips and ideas for your summer road trip:
First Aid & Safety
One of the most important aspects of a road trip is safety whether it's a basic first aid kit, allergy helpers, sun safety or painkillers, it's important to have a little first aid and emergency kit in your car for a road trip. We have one in the car all of the time which includes essentials such as painkillers, plasters, bandages, hand sanitiser and more. SPF, water bottles, a sun hat, fan, cooling water sprays or germolene would all be great additions too.
Tech & Entertainment
For any car journey, I always take my phone, earphones and a book so that when I'm parked or if I'm not driving then I have some form of entertainment. Audiobooks are amazing especially via BookBeat which is a audiobook subscription service which is unlike others in that you pay one fixed price per month and you can listen to as many audiobooks as you want in that month rather that other services in which you have to pay per audiobook. My Sudio Sweden earphones are also a must as they look gorgeous, they never tangle, they're almost noise cancelling and so comfortable which is perfect for long journeys.
Snacks & Extras
As well as my phone and earphones, another essential in my handbag is a snack of some kind which for me is usually a snack bar (I love the Nakd snack bars). Fruit, veggie sticks and sandwiches are great road trip snacks along with fruit juice and water. I have a few food favourites posts you can read for more snack ideas.
A few extras I can recommend include making sure you have enough data on your phone, phone or camera in-car chargers are essentials and blankets, an umbrella and extra tote bags would be some of my recommended extras for road trips.
Car Care
Last but not least is the most important aspect of a road trip, car safety! There are a few safety checks that would be pertinent to check before a long car journey such as your breaks, tyre pressure, oil and fuel levels, break fluid and wheel alignment, among others. Some of those checks and top-ups you could easily do yourself such as refilling the oil in your car, adding more water to your windscreen wash, checking the oil and fuel levels but there are a couple of checks that could be done by a professional.
You could get professional wheel alignment at Iverson Tyres Ltd London Branch which is important for the health and safety of your car. "Correct wheel alignment to the specification required by your vehicle maximizes tyre life and your vehicle will track straight and true when driving along a straight and level road. Incorrect wheel alignment can result in rapid irregular tyre wear that can affect the handling and safety of your vehicle." Additionally, tread depth, bulges or cracks in the tyres and break pad wear are important to look at as well.
What are your road trip essentials, safety tips or advice?
The Queen's birthday is a couple of days away which is not only a day for pomp and ceremony but also a day for indulgent and quintessentially british treats! The incredibly lovely people at The Grand Hotel in the historic and beautiful city of York sent me a basket full of wonderful treats to celebrate including jam, clotted cream fudge, tea, macaroons and of course, Yorkshire tea loaf.
First of all, I need to talk about Bettys, which is a famous tearoom hailing from Yorkshire as some of their delicious goodies were included in my hamper and I'm so happy with them! I have visited one of Bettys tearooms in York (if you're following me on Instagram then you'll see what I get up to) and loved visiting. Their macaroons are perfect and the Yorkshire tea loaf, which I thought I wouldn't like, was equally as scrumptious!
Afternoon tea is a quintessentially British pastime and dates from the 1840's but by the late 1880's it became a luxury for the upper classes when ladies would be served afternoon tea between four and five o'clock. The experience of an afternoon tea brings back a glimpse into victorian splendour, high society and pomp of the time, well, at least for a couple of hours.
"There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.” - Henry James
Traditionally, afternoon tea consisted of dainty sandwiches, scones and tea which is still the basis of afternoon tea menus today but now afternoon tea has become much more varied. Exotically flavoured macaroons, American style cakes and intricate chocolates are just some of the afternoon treats I've had over the past few years.
The Grand Hotel, a five star luxury hotel and spa within sight of the impressive York Minster, offers a range of afternoon tea options which would be perfect to celebrate the Queen's birthday this weekend. Their afternnon tea options include: a childrens afternoon tea, spa afternoon tea and mad hatter's afternoon tea, the latter sounds amazing with all things whimsical and magical including colourful cakes and drink me potions!
"Tea to the English is really a picnic indoors". - Alice Walker
I'm not one for quotes but I do love this one by Alice Walker, it sums up the feel of afternoon tea to me as it is a very civilised, high class and luxury indoor picnic, albeit with silverware, fine china and a sense of formal luxury but with a indulgent and leisurely pace. Afternoon tea is such a wonderful experience, with friends or family and it is perfect for marking a social occasion, birthday or royal celebration.
Tearooms were all the rage throughout the 19th century and remain a part of British cultural life today along with more high end options offered by luxury hotels such as The Grand Hotel. Tea and afternoon tea are two important and internationally recognised aspects associated with British culture and history. While the history of the British Isles is vast, monumental and varied, we have few long held traditions loved by all and one of those has to be afternoon tea. Thank you Anne Russell, Duchess of Bedford, who is recognised as the originator or at least responsible for the popularity of afternoon tea.
If you are interested in afternoon tea at The Grand Hotel in York, check out their website for more information including prices and descriptions of each afternoon tea variant; the mad hatter's afternoon tea looks incredible and very unique! Thanks so much to The Grand Hotel for my lovely hamper which I'll be using to celebrate the queen's birthday this weekend.
Have you visited The Grand Hotel? Do you like afternoon tea?
I'm at that age when some of my friends have babies and toddlers while others are working, living at home or travelling, I'm the latter but I do love seeing my friends babies - they are all so cute! While I'm definitely NOT having children, I love how absolutely adorable childrens clothes are so I'm always excited to buy birthday and christmas presents for them but it can be a little difficult to find childrens and babies clothes that aren't tacky or primary school coloured!
Today's post is a mini gift guide featuring a range of adorable and non-tacky baby and childrens clothing, accessories and gift options from OD's Designer Clothing, a site I've been lucky enough to work with previously reviewing a stunning Vivienne Westwood watch.
Moschino Baby Girls T-Shirt - Newborn Pink Cardigan - Pink Sandals - Newborn Boys Dungarees - Armani Unisex Bottle Set - Newborn Baby Blanket - Boys Boat Knitwear
Moschino is a brand that I've been interested in for a while as their clothing and fragrances look so unique and this utterly adorable bear t-shirt is something I'd definitely gift! While I don't think we should assign certain colours to specific genders, pink is one of my favourite colours and it's just a safe option to buy for a baby girl. The sweet pink cardigan and summery pink sandals are both so cute!
I have bought clothing for friend's babies and toddlers but sometimes sizes are a little difficult to predict so boxed gifts and accessories might be the way to go, especially for toddlers as they seem to grow out of their clothes every week! This Armani unisex bottle set would make a great luxury gift as would the snuggly and adorable rabbit baby blanket, the latter would be perfect for my friend's newborn baby girl! If you're looking for baby or junior wear that isn't tacky or generic then look no further than OD's Designer Clothing junior section which features a wide range of designer brands including Tommy Hilfiger, Hugo Boss, The North Face, Armani and more.
What do you think of these adorable gift ideas? Do you have any tips for buying gifts for babies/toddlers?
*This is a sponsored post *Images from OD's Designer Clothing
I'm a university graduate, coffee drinker and beauty, book, lifestyle and fashion blogger from little old England - posts marked with an (*) contain products sent for review or sponsored posts Read More >>
