This is one of my most anticipated reads of 2022 and it did not disappoint! Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tours for allowing me to participate in this tour. Be sure to check out tour schedule for the other tours posts this week!
Category: netgalley review
Review: Within These Wicked Walls
Since the moment I heard about this book, I have been dying to read it! I love the cover, the synopsis sounds so good, and it’s a perfect book for spooky season. I was so excited to receive an advanced copy via NetGalley and couldn’t wait to dive in!
Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy for review. This is a spoiler free, honest review and all thoughts and feelings are my own.
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DNF Review: I Am Margaret Moore
I went into this book open minded, but unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me. The actual story and content wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t something that I enjoyed and had a hard time getting through.
I received an e-ARC of I Am Margaret Moore from Wednesday Books through NetGalley in exchange for a review. This is a spoiler free, honest review and all thoughts and feelings are my own.
Review: The Keeper of Night
Thank you to Inkyard Press for hosting this blog tour! I was so excited for this book, I couldn’t believe I was getting a chance to read it early. If you haven’t heard of The Keeper of Night, you absolutely need to check it out, it is phenomenal!
I received an e-ARC from Inkyard Press and NetGalley in exchange for a review. This is a spoiler free, honest review and all thoughts and feelings are my own.
Review: Payback’s a Witch
I’m going to be honest, I didn’t even read the description for this book. I saw the cover and requested the book and that was it. But though the cover is beautiful, this book is more romance than fantasy and I wasn’t expecting that at first.
Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC for review. This is a spoiler free, honest review and all thoughts and feelings are my own.
Review: Crossbones
I requested this book on NetGalley solely because of the cover. I didn’t even need to read the synopsis; I saw this beautiful cover, requested it, and hoped for the best!
And oh my gosh this book was so good!
I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my review. This is a spoiler free, honest review and all thoughts and feelings are my own.
Review: Luminous
Thank you to Inkyard Press for giving me the opportunity to participate in this blog tour and share my spoiler free review! I loved Crown of Coral and Pearl and couldn’t wait to read her new book, especially after seeing the cover. Mara is just blessed to have gorgeous covers and I’m a little jealous. This book took a few unexpected turns though and ended up being completely different from what I thought it was about . . .
I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is a spoiler free, honest review and all thoughts and feelings are my own.
Review: City of Shattered Light
Hi everyone! I’m very excited to share my spoiler free review of City of Shattered Light for the TBR & Beyond tour! This book quickly hooked me in and I can safely say that there were so many twists that I couldn’t see coming, it was so well done. Thank you to TBR & Beyond Tours for letting me participate and share my thoughts! Be sure to check out the tour schedule to see all of the amazing posts on this tour!
Review: Lakesedge
I’m not going to lie, when I got an email with a link to download this book from the publisher, I didn’t even read the synopsis. I saw this gorgeous cover and added it to my kindle without a second thought. I know they say never judge a book by its cover, but this is the exception because this cover perfectly describes the vibes of this book and oh my gosh, it’s so good!
Thank you to Macmillan and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC for review. This is a spoiler free, honest review and all thoughts and feelings are my own.
Review: Vespertine
Hey everyone! I’m very excited to share my review and favorite quotes for Vespertine and participate in the blog tour with Turn the Page Tours! This was such a spooky book and the cover is absolutely gorgeous, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to read and review it! Be sure to check out the tour schedule and stick around to the end of my review to find out more information about how to win a copy of Vespertine!
Thank you to Turn the Page Tours and Simon Teen for sending me a copy via NetGalley for review! This is a spoiler free, honest review and all thoughts and feelings are my own.
Review: Beasts of Prey
Penguin Teen hyped up this book so much! I was so excited for it, I snagged it when they offered it to me and couldn’t wait to start reading. But I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sucked into it like I thought I would be. This was more of a slow intro, a book to take your time with, and then, when everything is set up, then the fun begins.
Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC for review. This is a spoiler free, honest review and all thoughts and feelings are my own.
Review: The Other Merlin
I read a sample of this book on BookishFirst, and while I didn’t win a copy, I did find a book that I was dying to read! The sample was so good and immediately peaked my interest. I was so happy when Penguin Teen offered this as a book I could download for review, I immediately jumped on it.
Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC for review. This is a spoiler free, honest review and all thoughts and feelings are my own.
Review: Iron Widow
Holy. Shit.
I just finished this book. My mind is blown. I didn’t think I could read a book so intense with an ending that made me want to scream, but here I am. Literally screaming.
Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC for review! This is a spoiler free, honest review and all thoughts and feelings are my own.
Review: The Lost Girls (A Vampire Revenge Story)
Vampires are back and I love the direction Sonia took this story. From the first chapter, I was invested in forever 16 y/o Holly who has to work at Taco Bell because she decided to be turned into a vampire and can’t manage to get a job anywhere else.
I loved the story, but for the love of God, publishers PLEASE allow the pdfs to be sent to kindle! I had to read this on my laptop, which isn’t the worst thing in the world, but it was seriously annoying. I would have much rather read this on my iPad or phone where I can at least take it around with me, instead of having to remain somewhat stationary. So for future reference, please don’t force me to read this on my laptop, please and thank you!
Thank you to Page Street Kids and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book for review! This is a spoiler free, honest review and all thoughts and feelings are my own.
Review: The Corpse Queen
I love the cover of this book and how simple, yet eerie it is. I wasn’t sure how scary or intense this book was going to be, but it ended up being really good and not too much! I love the historical fiction elements, the murder mystery, and the female empowerment all wrapped up into one book.
Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC for review! This is a spoiler free, honest review, and all thoughts and feelings are my own.
NetGalley Books I Just Downloaded
One perk of being a Penguin Teen Partner is getting access to their titles early, usually through NetGalley, which means I get quite a few books to read ahead of time. I love being able to read the books early and help promote them come release day. Most of the ARC reviews I post are from books I read through NetGalley and without it, I wouldn’t have been given the chance to read and review them early. If you haven’t check out NetGalley yet, I highly recommend it!
So, here are some of the most recently downloaded titles I received from Penguin Teen through NetGalley!
Review: The Girls Are Never Gone
Okay, listen. I know I’ve been reading a lot of paranormal thrillers (I mean, come on, they’re so good!) and I know we’re ready for some new genres, but listen. LISTEN! This book is so, so good and it just came out on Tuesday, so you need to do me a favor and pick it up ASAP!!!
Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC for review. This is a spoiler free, honest review and all thoughts and feelings are my own!
Review: Vampires Never Get Old
I have had this book sitting on my kindle for over a year. I hate having books sit on my Netgalley shelf or kindle shelf for a very long time, so I made a vow to read this book as soon as I could. And, finally, I did!
Thank you to Imprint and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for a review. This is a spoiler free, honest review and all thoughts and feelings are my own!
Review + Interview: The Witch Haven
Hey everyone! Today I have a special review because I was lucky enough to get to interview the author, Sasha Peyton Smith, for Turn the Page Tours – The Witch Haven tour! This book has everything I love in it: historical fiction set in NYC, with magic, romance, and a murder mystery! It’s literally all of my favorite genres in one book and I loved it!
If this sounds like a book you’d be interested in, be sure to check out the giveaway details at the end of the post to win one of TWO finished copies of the book! And check out the tour schedule to see the other amazing posts for this tour!
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This is a spoiler free, honest review and all thoughts and feelings are my own!
Review: Burden Falls
Another day, another thriller novel review! But this one is just thriller, no paranormal/fantasy thriller today. I know, you’re so sad! I promise you though – this book is so good. And terrifying. I was dumb enough to read this late into the night and ended up finishing it at 2am. Yeah, not a great idea. But I can definitely say that this book will creep you out and scare the heck out of you. So, let’s dive in!
Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC for review! This is an honest, spoiler free review and all thoughts and feelings are my own.
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Review: Devil in the Device
I managed to snag an ARC of Goddess in the Machine at YALLFest 2019 with my friend Grace and I really liked it! It was hard to get into at first with the changes in vocab and syntax from the futuristic characters, but once I got the hang of things, I was so excited for the story.
Thank you to Penguin Teen for sending me an e-ARC and a finished copy of the sequel, Devil in the Device, for review! This is a spoiler free, honest review and all thoughts and feelings are my own.
***This may contain spoilers for the first book, Goddess in the Machine. If you’ve not read the first book, feel free to check out my spoiler free review here, or proceed at your own risk!
Review: Dark and Shallow Lies
Welcome back to another review of a paranormal thriller! If you missed these, me too, so I’m back again to review the upcoming release of Dark and Shallow Lies!
Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC for review. This is a spoiler free, honest review and all thoughts and feelings are my own! And with that, let’s dive in.
Review: Me (Moth)
I don’t usually like novels in verse, I tend to resonate more with prose novels, but sometimes, a verse novel just hits me right in my feels. This is one of those books.
Review: A Lesson in Vengeance
Are we surprised that I read another thriller? Because I’m not. This book had me doubting my own sanity and I absolutely loved the lead up, the reveals, the ending. All of it was just so well done, I couldn’t force myself to read this book quickly if I tried. This is a book that needs to be savored until the very last line! I’m obsessed lol
Review: The Devil Makes Three
Hey everyone! I’m back with another paranormal thriller/horror review and today, it’s for The Devil Makes Three by Tori Bovalino! I am participating in a bookstagram tour with Turn the Page Tours for this book, so be sure to check out my post there.
Review: Mark of the Wicked
I am so excited to be able to participate in the blog tour for Mark of the Wicked by Georgia Bowers, hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours!
This book was everything I want in a paranormal thriller: death, doom, and destruction! I really enjoyed the story and while I wish some things were different, this review is spoiler free, so I won’t be touching on them today. But, I will share some thoughts I had while reading the book!
Be sure to check out the tour schedule for the other amazing posts on this tour!
Review: The Dead and the Dark
I have been alternating between fantasy and horror and this book is a little bit of both. I read this book in less than 24 hours and loved the overall vibes, though I was getting a little freaked out reading this book at night!
Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review!
Review: Small Favors
I’m a big fan of historical fantasy books, so when I saw Erin was writing one, I knew it was going to be good! If you haven’t read her first book, House of Salt and Sorrows, you should definitely check it out! It’s a twelve dancing princesses retelling and very, very creepy!
I was excited for another fantasy horror and this book did not disappoint. Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy for review!
Review: They’ll Never Catch Us
I have been reading so much fantasy lately that I needed something different to switch things up. I loved They Wish They Were Us by Jessica Goodman and I was so excited to receive an e-ARC of her next book, They’ll Never Catch Us! While both murder mystery/thrillers, these books have totally different vibes and I was happy to see this book wasn’t a carbon copy or remixed version of her debut.
If you haven’t read They Wish They Were Us, no worries! These stories are unrelated, so you can read one and not the other. If you want to check out my review of They Wish They Were Us though, you can find it here!
Review + Interview: Untethered
I love Shielded, the first book in this series, and I was lucky enough to interview KayLynn for its release last year. Now, I get to do a second interview and review the second book in this series too! If you’d like to read my review and interview of Shielded, check it out here! While this review is spoiler free, this may contain spoilers for Shielded, so read ahead at your own risk.
Thanks to TBR & Beyond Tours for allowing me to participate in this tour. This is such a great series and I’m glad I can help promote it! Be sure to check out the tour schedule and follow along!
Review: Curses
A gender-bent Beauty and the Beast retelling. A world where curses are given out like candy. A thief brought in to help a beast find a husband, but is he willing to give her up?
This book sounded so good and I was so excited to receive a copy from Penguin Teen!
Review + Favorite Quotes: The Taking of Jake Livingston
I am obsessed with this cover and after reading the contents of this book, I’m obsessed with this story too. While I have some issues on background and the general spooky world, mostly the lack of information, this book is too good not to read. This book made me cry and think and feel so many different things that I read it in less than three hours because I couldn’t put it down.
Thank you to TBR & Beyond Tours for allowing me to participate in this tour! Be sure to follow along with the tour schedule and check out all of the other amazing posts!
Review: Ruinsong
This book took me by surprise because while I was expecting a dark fantasy, wow some of these scenes were pretty intense. I mean, like torture intense. It definitely was not what I expected but it was still pretty good! I originally got an e-ARC of this book wayyyy back, but then eventually bought a physical copy, which is what I will be reviewing today!
Review: The Cruelest Mercy
I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of The Kinder Poison by Natalie Mae back in 2019 and since then, I’ve been obsessed! I couldn’t wait for the sequel and oh my goodness, it lived up to my expectations and then some!! If you haven’t read The Kinder Poison, check out my spoiler free review here!
Review: You’re So Dead
Have you ever wondered what an Agatha Christie-inspired murder mystery would be like with an island full of influencers? Well, then this book is the one for you! With a bisexual main character and a lot of horrendous jokes, this book is such a middle of the road read for me, I can’t even explain it.
Review: Daughter of Sparta
I am so happy I finally finished reading this book. This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2021 and I am so thankful for the publisher for sending me a finished copy for review! I really enjoyed this book and I can’t wait for the sequel!
Review: Girls at the Edge of the World
Honestly, I requested this book solely based on the cover. The colors, the two girls staring at each other lovingly, the lightening – everything was coming together and screaming “READ ME!!!”
And what I got was a complex story about two girls trying to survive the end of the world and it was so freaking good!
Review: Heartbreakers and Fakers
This – this is the summer book I was dying to read. This is the enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, YA romance that I was looking forward to and I loved it! I read this in one sitting yesterday because I couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait to read more from this author and you should definitely pick it up if you’re looking for a great summer romance read!
Review: The Nature of Witches
I have seen so many positive reviews and hype around this book, I couldn’t wait to dive in! It was hyped up, it was the first book I picked up during my vacation and I was so excited to read it. While I did like it, it definitely didn’t live up to the hype I was seeing about it and I’m actually kind of disappointed.
Review: Better Together
My friend Alexa over at Writing the Universe somehow managed to get an extra ARC of Better Together from Wednesday Books and she was kind enough to give me her extra copy (thank you!). We ended up somewhat buddy reading this book together and um… it was interesting. Definitely interesting.
I’m going to link her review as well, since she has some strong opinions about this book too.
Review: Curse of the Spector Queen
I LOVE historical fantasies, along the lines of The Diviners, and this one was so good! A gender-bent Indiana Jones set in the 1920’s? SIGN ME UP!
Review: Spells Trouble
Many years ago, when I was in middle school, I was obsessed with the Marked series. I loved the storyline and the world and while I never finished the series, I got 8 books in before I ran out of books and moved on with the series. When I saw P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast were writing a new series together, I was so excited! I was lucky enough to receive an ARC from the publisher and some swag as well! (pics below!)
ARC Review: Cool for the Summer
I don’t know a lot of books with queer Jewish representation. And when I saw this book available for request, I had to hop on it. This was such a cute read about a girl questioning her sexuality as she’s torn between the guy of her dreams and the girl she can’t forget.
DNF Review: Sky Breaker
I will start off by saying that I liked Night Spinner. I read it over a year ago (pre-pandemic) and thought it was a really interesting book, though I had some issues with it. Unfortunately, I did not like this book as much and I actually DNFed it.
Feel free to check out my review of the first book, Night Spinner, before reading this review. May include spoilers for book one.
Review + 5 Reasons to Read: The Ones We’re Meant to Find
Dystopian has been making a comeback and this book is no exception. This breathtaking book about two sisters desperate to find each other as the world is ending is honestly a masterpiece. I’m so thankful TBR and Beyond Tours chose me to participate in this tour because I cannot stop thinking about this book and I’m so excited to share this story with you! Be sure to follow along with the tour and check out the schedule to see all of the amazing posts!
ARC Review: Counting Down With You
I have been on a contemporary kick and this book scratched all of the itches I had! Fake dating? Friends to lovers? Anxiety rep? Super cute moments and references I can’t get out of my head? This book checked them all!
ARC Review: What’s Not to Love
Ah high school. It’s so bizarre to think I graduated six years ago. I haven’t walked the halls or gone to classes and yet this book pulled me right back in and I loved it. With this enemies to lovers story, two rivals do everything in their power to outdo the other leading to an intensely passionate relationship that I am IN LOVE WITH.
DNF Review: Slingshot
I’m just going to be blunt and honest: this book is a trainwreck. I have no idea where the author was going with this book and what she was trying to do, but it did not land well. Just … yikes.
ARC Review: Our Last Echoes
I am a big thriller fan, but I’ve never been someone who could get into horror. While this isn’t Stephen King esque, it is pretty gruesome and intense and there were several moments that I had to take a break to calm my heart rate down. But this book was so fantastic that I could get past all of the horror elements because I had to know what was going on. The mystery of this world, of Sophia’s experience, and the disappearances on this island captivated me and I absolutely loved it!
Review and 15 Thoughts While Reading: The Stolen Kingdom
I’m a sucker for the enemies to lovers trope and this book is an amazing example of a well executed enemies to lovers! With magic, murder, and mayhem, this book is a rollercoaster told from two POVs – the prince of the stolen kingdom and the girl set to take it back.
Blog Tour: In Deeper Waters
I am so excited to be able to share my review for In Deeper Waters, hosted by Turn the Page Tours! I was immediately drawn into this book by the cover and the description completely won me over. You’ll definitely want to check out the giveaway for a copy of this book, it’s a must have!
ARC Review: When We Were Infinite
Before I start with my review, I want to mention that this book has several trigger warnings. While this review is spoiler free, there might be mentions of certain themes that might be triggering. Please proceed with caution and stay safe.
TW: anxiety, panic attacks, racism, suicide attempt, suicide of side character, child abuse
Blog Tour: These Feathered Flames
I am so excited to be able to participate in this tour today! I received an e-ARC from Inkyard Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and so when I saw this tour was open, I knew I had to sign up. This book was so amazing and good, I’m so glad I can help promote it!
Be sure to check out the other tour posts this week and see all the amazing reviews and Instagram posts. You can find the tour schedule here.
Review: A Dark and Hollow Star
I managed to get an ARC of this book right before release on NetGalley, but it wasn’t until I purchased a physical copy at B&N that I got motivated to read it. See, I knew I was going to love this book (and obviously I was right) so it made sense to just buy a copy and I’m so glad I did. I loved this book so much and I can’t wait for the sequel!
DNF Review: Tell Me My Name
I was so excited for this book. I really, really was. But once I started reading it, the only thing I could think of was “please stop”. It was tragic.
ARC Review: Namesake
I was so excited when I received an ARC of Namesake from Wednesday Books, all I wanted to do was drop everything and read this. Sadly, life gets in the way, but I was finally able to read this book and I loved it! If you haven’t read Fable yet, be sure to check out my spoiler free review here.
ARC Review: Phoenix Flame
Immediately after finishing Havenfall, I picked up Phoenix Flame and read it in one sitting. At just under 300 pages, I devoured this book to find out what happens next and now I’m curious if this series is a duology or a trilogy…
Blog Tour + Favorite Quotes: Sing Me Forgotten
Today, I am reviewing one of my most highly anticipated reads of 2021 – Sing Me Forgotten by Jessica S. Olson! This is a genderbent Phantom of the Opera retelling with magic and I was so excited to be a part of this tour! Thank you again to Turn the Page Tours for allowing me to participate in the Sing Me Forgotten blog tour! I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait to share my favorite quotes and 5 reasons to read this book. Be sure to check out the tour schedule for more amazing content!
ARC Review: House of Hollow
Ever since this book came on my radar, I knew I was going to love it. This book took what I thought I knew, twisted it on its head, and spat it back at me. I am still reeling at what I read.
Blog Tour + Giveaway: Sweet & Bitter Magic
I could not believe I am able to participate in this blog tour for Sweet & Bitter Magic. This is one of my most anticipated reads and WOW did it live up to that expectation! I am not joking when I say that I’m obsessed with this book and I need a series continuation of at least 10 more please.
Thank you to TBR & Beyond Tours for allowing me to participate and review this book! Be sure to check out my post on Instagram as well as the giveaway being hosted! More information at the end of my post. And be sure to check out the tour schedule on TBR & Beyond’s website for more reviews and other amazing posts!
Review: The Gilded Ones
This book has been on my radar for a while, especially since my blog tour company, Book Terminal Tours, did a blog tour for this book! Seeing everyone’s amazing reviews and gorgeous posts got me so hyped for this book and while I have some qualms with it, this book definitely lives up to its hype.
I received an ARC of The Gilded Ones from Delacorte Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is an honest, spoiler free review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Blog Tour: The Castle School (For Troubled Girls) Review + Interview
I’m so excited to be able to participate in the blog tour for The Castle School: For Troubled Girls by Alyssa Sheinmel! I was so happy I got to read this book early because I absolutely loved it. Be sure to check out the other posts on this tour, schedule link here. Thanks again to TBR Beyond Tours for allowing me to participate.
Review: Chosen Ones
This is my first Veronica Roth book and it was one that I actually wished for and my wish was granted on NetGalley! It took me a while to getting around to reading it and this book ended up being very middle of the road for me. Not great, but not bad.
ARC Review: Amelia Unabridged
I have been reading a lot of books about grief recently. A person I was friends with in high school passed away from cancer a few weeks ago. We weren’t close, but I knew her. Spent time with her. Watched her journey from diagnosis to the end, and it broke me to hear she had passed. In fact, three people from my school have passed from cancer. Two people I knew and was friends with.
Reading these books about grief have helped me understand my own. My sadness, my grief, my frustration. This book took me on Amelia’s journey to accept the loss of her best friend and I will tell you, I sobbed.
DNF Review: City of the Uncommon Thief
I really don’t like having to put down a book before I finish it. It’s just a sad feeling, but I could not push through this book. Maybe one day I’ll come back to revisit this story and see if I can understand what’s going on, but as of right now, I had to stop at 25%.
I was given an e-ARC of City of the Uncommon Thief from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This has not impacted my review and all thoughts and feelings are my own.
ARC Review: Down Comes the Night
I was lucky enough to win a physical ARC of Down Comes the Night from Allison in one of her giveaways (which I’m still screaming about!) and received a digital ARC from Wednesday Books through NetGalley. This is one of my most anticipated reads for 2021 and I absolutely loved it. If you’re a fan of enemies-to-lovers, only one bed trope, and some strange, but awesome magic – then keep reading!
Review: Stormbreak
I finished the Seafire trilogy and I’m so sad!! But thank you to Penguin Teen for sending me a finished copy for review. I have loved this series since June 2018, which feels like forever ago, and I’m so grateful to have been able to follow along with this series since the beginning.
ARC Review: The Project
I was honestly shocked how much I loved this book and I think I’m back on a thriller kick due to this. Thank you to Wednesday Books for approving my request to read The Project through NetGalley. This has not impacted by review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review: Shadow City
Thank you so much to Wednesday Books for sending me a finished copy for review! I was lucky enough to receive a manuscript of Diamond City back in 2019 and fell in love with this series. This may contain spoilers to the first book, Diamond City, but will not contain spoilers from Shadow City.
Many thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy and without further ado, here are my thoughts!
Blog Tour: This Golden Flame
I am very excited to be able to participate in the blog tour for This Golden Flame by Emily Victoria – hosted by Inkyard Press!
Thank you for allowing me to participate and for giving me an advanced copy for review. This has not impacted my thoughts and all opinions are my own.
DNF Review: Written in Starlight
I’m honestly ashamed of myself for not catching how messed up Woven in Moonlight was, but I really appreciate being called out for starting this book. I was blind to how racist this book is, and the fact that Written in Starlight is even worse than the first book, I’m glad I could avoid suffering through it. Immediately DNFed at 5%.
ARC Review: The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry
I was really excited to read this book and I was so happy to receive an ARC through NetGalley! But, after reading the story, I had some issues with it that unfortunately made me have to lower my rating.
I received an eARC of The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry by C.M. Waggoner from NetGalley and Ace in exchange for an honest review. This has not impact my thoughts or feelings towards this book and all opinions are my own.
Blog Tour: Unchosen
I am so excited to be able to participate in the blog tour for Unchosen by Katharyn Blair! This was a highly anticipated book for me and it did not disappoint. Thank you to Turn the Page Tours for allowing me to participate and to Katherine Tegen Books for sending me a finished copy for review!
Be sure to check out the tour schedule to see all of the blogs for this tour, as well as the giveaway they’re hosting! And check out my Instagram for the exclusive photo I took for this tour!
ARC Review: You Have A Match
January is my catch up month, which means I’m reading a bunch of January, February, and overdue ARCs to try and play, well, catch up! We have another NetGalley ARC review today for You Have a Match by Emma Lord, which was so freaking good!
I requested a copy through NetGalley from Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
NetGalley Update: January 2021
It’s been a while since I’ve done a NetGalley update and since I’m working on getting through all of these reviews, I thought it would be good motivation to show how behind I am and maybe I’ll kick myself into action!
Most of these books I did request, though some are for blog tours and others were offered by the publisher or through a giveaway.
ARC Review: Lore
I absolutely love Alex Bracken’s books, so when I saw she was writing a Greek mythology inspired standalone, I knew I needed to read this immediately. I was lucky enough to receive an e-ARC from the publisher on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This has not impacted my thoughts and all thoughts are entirely my own. This is a spoiler free review.
ARC Review: The Quantum Weirdness of the Almost-Kiss
This was a book we did a tour for at the end of December/beginning of January, and it was too cute not to read! This was my first read of 2021 and it was a great way to start off the year.
I received an ARC from Amulet Books through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This has not impacted my rating or my thoughts on this book.
Blog Tour: Review + 15 Thoughts I Had While Reading Glimpsed
I am so excited to be able to participate in another book tour for TBR & Beyond Tours – this time for a new contemporary fantasy, Glimpsed by G.F. Miller! Thank you again TBR & Beyond Tours for allowing me to participate – I absolutely adored this book and I can’t wait to share my review and 15 thoughts I had while reading Glimpsed!
Be sure to check out the schedule for other amazing posts! The tour starts today, January 5th and goes through January 11th!
ARC Review: Super Fake Love Song
I was lucky enough to receive this ARC from Penguin Teen and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This has not impacted my opinion of this book – all thoughts are my own.
Thanks again Penguin for allowing me to review this title early (even though I was a little late in getting it out). I was so excited to read this new book from David Yoon and it did not disappoint!
ARC Review: Rebel Sisters
I finally finished it! I started reading this book on December 6th and finished it on December 21st. TWO WEEKS. It took me two weeks to finish this book because A Vow So Bold and Deadly put me in a reading slump! Ugh!
Anyways! Yes, I finally finished Rebel Sisters by Tochi Onyebuchi. If you haven’t read War Girls yet, I highly suggest checking out my spoiler free review of that book. This review may contain spoilers for the first book though it will be a spoiler free review. I received an ARC from Razorbill through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This has not impacted my review and all opinions are my own.
Blog Tour Review + Interview: The Ballad of Ami Miles
I am so excited to be a part of the blog tour for The Ballad of Ami Miles by Kristy Dallas Alley, hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours! Thanks again for letting me participate, and thank you to Swoon Reads for sending me an ARC of this book for review! Be sure to check out the other posts this week and follow along with the tour schedule!
ARC Review: The Camelot Betrayal
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of The Camelot Betrayal by Kiersten White from Delcorte Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The Camelot Betrayal is the second book in Camelot Rising trilogy, the first book being The Guinevere Deception. If you have not read The Guinevere Deception, I would recommend you head over to my spoiler free review of that book instead.
This review may include spoilers to The Guinevere Deception, but will not include spoilers for The Camelot Betrayal. This is a spoiler free review.
ARC Review: Rebel Rose
I am so excited for the review I’m doing today! This was a highly anticipated book for me and I freaked out when I was approved for it on NetGalley!
Today I am reviewing The Queen’s Council: Rebel Rose by Emma Theriault. I received a copy for review from NetGalley and Disney Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
Blog Tour: Master of One
Thank you so much to TBR & Beyond Tours and HarperTeen for letting me review this book for this tour! This was such a fun book and I can’t wait to read the next one. Be sure to check out the other tour posts – you can find the schedule here.
Blog Tour + Interview: Those Who Prey
I am so excited to be able to participate in the blog tour for Those Who Prey by Jennifer Moffett! Thank you Turn The Page Tours and Simon & Schuster for letting me participate! Be sure to check out the tour schedule and the other tour hosts! And they do currently have a giveaway for a copy of this book, so be sure to check that out if you’re interested!
ARC Review: Among the Beasts and Briars
This is the first book by Ashley Poston that I’ve read, so I didn’t have any preconceived ideas of her writing style or her books in general. So when I received this book, I was open and leapt in blindly.
I’m sincerely regretting not reading more of her books.
ARC Review: The Cup and the Prince
I received an eARC of The Cup and the Prince by Day Leitao from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
This was such an interesting fantasy that, at first, I wasn’t sure where it was going, but soon, I was absolutely hooked.
Blog Tour: Winter, White and Wicked
I am so excited to be participating in my first blog tour with TBR and Beyond Tours! Today is the first day of the tour, so I will link the schedule here so you can follow along!
This book was such a unique fantasy, I’ve never read anything like it! And based off the ending, I have a feeling I’m going to love book 2!
Blog Tour: Kingdom of Sea and Stone
I am so excited that I got to participate in TBR and Beyond’s tour of Kingdom of Sea and Stone! I loved Crown of Coral and Pearl and was so excited to see that there was a sequel! If you missed the other tour stops, check out the schedule here to see other posts!
DNF Review: How to Break an Evil Curse
I am not someone who normally DNFs (did not finish) a book, but this one pushed my buttons.
I received a copy of How to Break an Evil Curse by Laura Morrison from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This was marketed as a high fantasy, which it is not, and I just could not get through it.
ARC Review: A Golden Fury
I received a copy of A Golden Fury by Samantha Cohoe from NetGalley and Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.
I found myself unable to put this book down while I was reading it. It’s an intense read that asks a lot of philosophical questions. A lush realistic fantasy that warns the readers – what will you give up for power?
ARC Review: Hush
I received an eARC of Hush by Dylan Farrow from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I hadn’t heard a lot about this book when I requested it except that it was a fantasy novel, so I didn’t have any preconceived thoughts going in (besides what the synopsis said). I didn’t know if I would like it, but I’m here to report that I loved it!
ARC Review: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
I knew since April that I was going to receive an ARC of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab from Tor Publishing (thank you again Tor!) and when I received this book, I cried. I have loved every book Victoria has written and I knew I was going to adore this book.
Oh boy, was I right.
ARC Review: The Silvered Serpents
I saw that The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi was Read Now on NetGalley and without thinking, I downloaded it to my kindle. I hadn’t read The Gilded Wolves, in fact, I had DNFed it originally. But I downloaded it anyways because *cue the theme song* I’m an idiot!
But I ended up loving The Gilded Wolves and, not surprisingly, I loved The Silvered Serpents even more!
ARC Review: White Fox
I received an eARC of White Fox by Sara Faring from Fierce Reads in exchange for an honest review.
I have been on such a thriller kick lately that this book sounded like exactly what I wanted to read. A ten year old disappearance? A chance to investigate what really happened? Spooky, creepy clues as to what may have happened popping up? It was too interesting to resist – and I loved it!
ARC Review: Legendborn
Today I am reviewing Legendborn by Tracy Deonn. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley and I’m so glad I got to read it early. This book has quickly become one of my all time favorite books and I was so happy to find out it’s going to be a series!
This book is filled with magic, adventure, and some American history and it is AMAZING
ARC Review: Meme
I received an e-ARC of Meme by Aaron Starmer through NetGalley from Penguin Teen in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve been on such a thriller kick recently I couldn’t resist requesting this book. This is one of the titles from Penguin’s Influencer group and it was a really good pick. I honestly think I’ll re-read it for the spooky season and if you’re hunting for spooky books to read this year, you’ll want to check this one out!
ARC Review: Watch Over Me
I received this book from Penguin Teen through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
First off, can we just admire this cover? Like, I absolutely love how beautiful it is. And the contents match it. This book was so beautiful and healing for me, I couldn’t put it down. With less than 300 pages, this was a book I devoured in two sittings – 50% before bed, 50% when I woke up. I really enjoyed Watch Over Me by Nina LaCour and couldn’t stop myself from reading.
ARC Review: Fable
Today I am reviewing Fable by Adrienne Young. This was a Read Now option on NetGalley and I absolutely dove for it! Thank you Wednesday Books for letting me snag a copy of this book for review!
Before I start this review, can we just admire how beautiful this cover is! And Namesake is so cool too for being the other side of her face. I just love it!
DNF Review: Sanctuary
I received an ARC of Sanctuary by Paola Mendoza and Abby Sher from Penguin Teen through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I don’t think I’ve ever written a DNF (did not finish) review before, so this is a first. Usually when I DNF a book, it’s not an ARC I’ve been given by the publisher for review, it’s one that I decided to read on my own. After the whole debacle on Sunday regarding an author calling out a reviewer for DNF-ing and posting a “bad” review on Goodreads, I am a little nervous to post my thoughts.
But, the whole point of reviewing books are to review them, good or bad. So I’m gonna talk about why I DNFed this book and what my thoughts are. Surprisingly, they’re not bad at all!
ARC Review: Traitor
I won Traitor by Amanda McCrina through Macmillan’s Weekly Grab a Galley sweepstakes and I was really excited! I’ve never been a WWII buff, but I do love historical fiction and I was excited to read this book through a different lens of the war.
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
ARC Review: Vicious Spirits
I received an eARC of Vicious Spirits by Kat Cho from Penguin Teen in exchange for an honest review.
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
ARC Review: The Whitsun Daughters
I received a copy of The Whitsun Daughters by Carrie Mesrobian from Penguin Teen in exchange for an honest review.
So my initial read of the description got me really excited! Until I got to the ending. There were so many good things in this book and then it ultimately flopped for me. There will be some spoilers in this review, but I have marked them in case you want to remain spoiler free.
NetGalley vs. Edelweiss
I didn’t realize that I didn’t have a post scheduled for today so I’m kind of writing this last minute – SORRY!
I am having trouble finding posts other than reviews to write right now because I have been a reading machine. So far, I’ve been reading a new e-book every 1-3 days which means I’ve gotten through a lot of books so far this month. Which means a lot of reviews! I’m sorry if you’re looking for other content because I might have to post a lot of reviews, especially since a lot of them are upcoming August and September releases and I want to get them out near release date.
Any way – I wanted to talk about two different platforms that I use to review books: NetGalley and Edelweiss. If you don’t know what these are, they are a way for booksellers, librarians, authors, and reviewers to get their hands on upcoming book releases for purchase or review. And when I mean purchase, I mean for their library or their store. Bloggers can also receive books on these sites, but are not quite as lucky to get them as a librarian or bookseller would be.
Today, I’m going to be reviewing them and I have a lot to say – especially about Edelweiss!
First off, acceptance rate. NetGalley, by far, beats Edelweiss in this for me. While it’s hard to say how many books I’ve been denied on Edelweiss since once they archive them, they disappear from the site, the ratios can’t even compete.
For my primary NetGalley, I currently have 11 books to read and review and I have reviewed 39 so far. So far, I’ve been denied 63 books and I am currently pending and waiting on 16.
Meanwhile, on Edelweiss, I have been approved for 2, currently pending 9, and have been denied 24. Although, technically I have been approved for 4 because I was initially denied for The Boundless, then received it through a blog tour. And I was denied for Wench but then re-requested it and received it through the publisher.
Just from that alone, I have a better chance of getting approved through NetGalley than on Edelweiss any day! But I’ll put some (poorly done) math below! Approved / (Pending) + (Denied)
Chance of getting approved on NetGalley: 63%
Chance of getting approved on Edelweiss: 6%
Yeah, my math is probably flawed, but just looking at the percent difference makes me want to cry!
Moving on, website layout.
Personally, I like NetGalley’s look and request option more than Edelweiss.
NetGalley is pretty simple. In your bio, you include your stats and anything that the publisher should take into consideration when looking over your request. That’s your place to shine! Then you would find the title, click on it and it brings you to this page. Then you select all the things that made you want to select the book and hit request! Although in that case, it was read now since it was an excerpt, but you get the idea! There’s also books you can Wish For, and for those you just click Wish For It and hope that you’re one of the lucky people to get it!
Edelweiss on the other hand is more complicated.
At the top, the part I cropped out, it includes your saved profile and your profile strength.
In your profile you have a bio just like NetGalley that the publishers see, which should be as detailed and extensive as you can. You want to shine. But Edelweiss also wants you to write a whole thing on why you’re requesting the book. Which I feel is utterly pointless if our bios include the same information.
I’ve tried writing it very professionally (like my bio), very casual, included stats, didn’t include stats, any combination you can think of and it never gets me any closer to getting the book for review.
And then, if you get approved for a book, the actual review process is totally different.
NetGalley rates things on a 5 star system, you can copy that review over to your connected Goodreads, tweet that you reviewed this book, and provided tags/information to the publisher.
Edelweiss does their score out of 10 stars and includes multiple things you can rate. Writing, originality, overall, etc
Plus, there are icons to choose to shelve the book, write notes to the publisher, share your review and more.
While NetGalley’s is more user friendly and a bit simpler, I actually appreciate Edelweiss’ system. I like that I can provide an overall rating as well as more specific ratings to explain why that might be. Then you have other icons to choose to tag, shelve, and what not which makes it a lot more organized than NetGalley.
Another thing I really like about Edelweiss is that you don’t have to have been approved for the book to review it, unlike NetGalley where you can only write reviews for books you’ve been approved for. This makes it a lot easier to increase your stats if you end up getting the book before release another way (like NetGalley or a giveaway) or if it’s still up after release!
Overall, I like NetGalley WAYYY more than Edelweiss. Not only for the fact that I actually get approved for books on their site, but because it’s a cleaner, simpler site to use. Although, I wish NetGalley had the option to re-request the book, like Edelweiss. That would save me so much heartbreak.
Which site do you like to use more?
ARC Review: The Companion
I received an electronic galley of The Companion by Katie Alender from Penguin Teen in exchange for an honest review. This review will be spoiler free.
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
The other orphans say Margot is lucky.
Lucky to survive the horrible accident that killed her family.
Lucky to have her own room because she wakes up screaming every night.
And finally, lucky to be chosen by a prestigious family to live at their remote country estate.
But it wasn’t luck that made the Suttons rescue Margot from her bleak existence at the group home. Margot was handpicked to be a companion to their silent, mysterious daughter, Agatha. At first, helping with Agatha–and getting to know her handsome older brother–seems much better than the group home. But soon, the isolated, gothic house begins playing tricks on Margot’s mind, making her question everything she believes about the Suttons . . . and herself.
Margot’s bad dreams may have stopped when she came to live with Agatha – but the real nightmare has just begun.
I’ve been on a thriller/horror kick recently, so when I received this book from Penguin Teen, I was jumping for joy! I really enjoyed this story and how it builds up on itself. We go from a somewhat calm beginning to terror filled mayhem and it was pretty epic!
For starters, poor Margot is suffering from nightmares after she is the sole survivor in a car crash that killed her entire family. After losing all her friends and no family to take her in, Margot ends up at a group home. Luckily, her father saved the life of Mr. Sutton, who wants to repay his debt by taking Margot in.
But Margot is not brought in selflessly – they want her to be a companion for Agatha, who has come down with a mysterious illness. Unable to talk, barely take care of herself, and generally absent from reality, Agatha isn’t much of a bother. Weird things start happening in the house and Margot realizes that things aren’t what they seem.
There were some moments in this book where I thought this was going to be a ghost story. If you’re not into that, don’t worry, it’s not! But from the creepiness level of this book it was a strong possibility. Margot experiences some scary and weird things in the house and those experiences alone would have made me run screaming for the hills. I don’t know why she didn’t run on the first day!
This book was not only very well written, but the story, the cast of characters, and Margot’s experiences made this book one of my favorite thrillers. I had suspicions on what exactly was happening, but the ending still blew my mind! I really liked the set up of Agatha and Margot’s friendship. Even though Agatha is not coherent, they still manage to communicate and cultivate a trusting friendship. It was really cool to watch this progression, especially later on in the book as Margot starts to figure out that something isn’t quite right.
One thing I didn’t like about the story though was the ending. Specifically, the fact that it ends so shortly. We get some kind of resolution, but not enough details that I felt satisfied. The book leads up to the climatic moment and the resolution afterwards fell flat for me. I either wanted a better recap of what happened or another scene before the end that explains what is going on. The ending is just too short and quick in my opinion. It’s why I can’t give this book 5 stars.
While the ending may have not been to my liking, the rest of the book is so well thought out and planned, I’m still reeling over what happened. The last 25% of the book was so fast paced and intense I didn’t want to look away to take a sip of water. With a different ending, this book probably be a 5 stars for me, but with what we have, this is a 
.5 // 5 stars. The Companion releases on August 25th, 2020, so be sure to preorder your copy today!
Thank you again to Penguin Teen for sending me a copy for review!
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If this sounds interesting, check out They Wish They Were Us by Jessica Goodman
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If you liked this review, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
ARC Review: Ignite the Sun
I received a copy of Ignite the Sun by Hanna Howard from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
Once upon a time, there was something called the sun… In a kingdom ruled by an evil witch, the sun is just part of a legend about light-filled days of old. Luckily for everybody in the kingdom, Siria Nightingale is headed to the heart of the darkness to try and restore the light–or she will lose everything trying.
Sixteen year-old Siria Nightingale has never seen the sun. The light is dangerous, according to Queen Iyzabel, an evil witch who has shrouded the kingdom in shadow.
Siria has always hated the darkness and revels in the stories of the light-filled old days that she hears from her best friend and his grandfather. Besides them, nobody else understands her fascination with the sun, especially not her strict and demanding parents. Siria’s need to please them is greater even than her fear of the dark. So she heads to the royal city–the very center of the darkness–for a chance at a place in Queen Iyzabel’s court.
But what Siria discovers at the Choosing Ball sends her on a quest toward the last vestiges of the sun with a ragtag group of rebels who could help her bring back the Light … or doom the kingdom to shadow forever.
This was a surprisingly quick read, even though the book is 352 pages long. Though this book is a quick read, it is not an “easy” or “light” read. This book discusses some serious topics like genocide, parental neglect, and war. But, there are some moments of light in this book between Siria and her newfound family, Yarrow and Linden.
From the beginning, I was interested in the Darkness covering their town. There is no sunlight, only lamps and a heating spell to keep everyone from freezing. I couldn’t imagine living in a world of pure darkness, controlled by an abusive Queen. All the magical creatures locked away or slaughtered to make sure she stays in power. The only thing people had were stories of the time before and even then they were just viewed as stories.
Once we get into the thick of this book, I found that I got some information about the world of the sunchildren and other mythical creatures, but not a complete picture. I wanted to learn more about the culture and the world, but we mostly learn about their powers and how to use them. While helpful, and cool, I felt like I didn’t have the full picture of this world. For one, it sounds like the sunchildren are like genetic mutations – it’s not a group of beings, they can be born to humans or nymphs, and some siblings can be sunchildren while others aren’t. Which, I don’t understand how that happens and it’s not explained much.
In fact, there was a lot of missing information by the end and too many unanswered questions. Besides the obvious, what is a sunchild and how do they appear, I wanted to know more about nymph and elf powers. Mages were kind of explained, but it was basically “they have a magical item that channels their magic. The end” which isn’t super helpful.
Plus, we’re told that sunchildren have all of these great powers, and while we see some, it sounds like it’s not even a drop in the bucket. It was actually really frustrating to read such an interesting plot only to have the world building lack. And the forced romance, while cute, felt off. These characters were friends for years, Siria barely spoke to him for four years, and suddenly she’s in love? I just don’t understand.
While I enjoyed the story a lot, those discrepancies and unanswered questions bugged me and made the story more confusing at times. So while I liked the characters and the overall book, I would give this a .5 // 5 stars.
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If this book sounds interesting, be sure to check out The Raven and the Dove by Kaitlyn Davis! The sequel, The Hunter and the Mage releases on September 21st, 2020!
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If you liked this review, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
ARC Review: A Wicked Magic
This book was given to me for review by the publisher and Fantastic Flying Book Club. After hearing all the awful things that FFBC was doing, I formally left the tour. I was supposed to post my review for their blog tour, but instead, I will simply be posting my review for the author and the publisher.
Today, I am reviewing A Wicked Magic by Sasha Laurens, a debut YA paranormal novel about two teenage witches who unwillingly band together to fix the magical mess they’ve made. This title releases on July 28th, so be sure to preorder a copy today!
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina meets The Craft when modern witches must save teens stolen by an ancient demon in this YA fantasy-thriller debut.
Dan and Liss are witches. The Black Book granted them that power. Harnessing that power feels good, especially when everything in their lives makes them feel powerless.
During a spell gone wrong, Liss’s boyfriend is snatched away by an evil entity and presumed dead. Dan and Liss’s friendship dies that night, too. How can they practice magic after the darkness that they conjured?
Months later, Liss discovers that her boyfriend is alive, trapped underground in the grips of an ancient force. She must save him, and she needs Dan and the power of The Black Book to do so. Dan is quickly sucked back into Liss’s orbit and pushes away her best friend, Alexa. But Alexa has some big secrets she’s hiding and her own unique magical disaster to deal with.
When another teenager disappears, the girls know it’s no coincidence. What greedy magic have they awakened? And what does it want with these teens it has stolen?
Set in the atmospheric wilds of California’s northern coast, Sasha Laurens’s thrilling debut novel is about the complications of friendship, how to take back power, and how to embrace the darkness that lives within us all.
I really enjoyed this book. It was magical and fun with some very interesting characters. The beginning pulled me in quickly, but I found that the middle was pretty slow. I felt like the beginning and end were well thought and executed, but the middle was lagging in terms of action. It began to feel repetitive as the same issues rose up for Dan and Liss that they had to work through.
Alexa’s story on the other hand got my attention. I wanted to read more about her and what was going on with Lorelai’s investigation. The whole first half of the book was focused on Dan and Liss’ situation with occasional sections on Alexa – but in the second half we get to see her a lot more and that’s when things get interesting.
Focusing on the plot, this book was so good. The actual events that go on and what these girls have to face was insane and super creepy. I wish I had read this book for Halloween with the amount of creepy, eerie things that happen. I also was a bit upset about who Alexa ended up with, because I was kind of rooting for someone else. On the other hand, she ends up with a really sweet girl and seems really happy.
For the characters, we see a lot of growth between the three, especially for Liss in my opinion. Honestly, I didn’t like Liss’ character at all in the beginning, but after finding out more about her home situation and her motivation for things, I just feel sorry for her. The changes she goes through made her into a much healthier person and I loved seeing her growth. Dan also goes through a much needed change and comes out a healthier, hopefully happier, person.
One thing that I think the author was trying to make cannon was Dan’s sexuality. We know Liss is straight (or at least very interested in her boyfriend Johnny) and Alexa is gay, but we never learn about Dan. Not that it’s important, but I can’t help but wonder where the author was going for her. See, in the book, Dan comes across as ace (asexual) or somewhere along the ace spectrum. But it’s never confirmed, denied, or really discussed. Part of me wants an answer, but it doesn’t really affect the story much whether or not she is. I’m just curious, I guess.
Overall, this book was written beautifully and it dives into things like self harm, depression, abusive home life, and other important conversations like that. These issues are discussed and handled carefully and I appreciate the work the author put in to represent these topics well. Though the middle was really slow for my taste, I think this book was still awesome. I loved learning about how magic worked in this world and pairing it with real teenage problems.
I think a lot of people will not only enjoy this book, but learn that things aren’t always what they seem. So, I’m giving this a // 5 stars!
ARC Review: Warmaidens
Warmaidens by Kelly Coon is the sequel to Gravemaidens and releases on October 20th, 2020. If you have not read Gravemaidens yet, feel free to check out my spoiler free review here. This review will be spoiler free, but I cannot guarantee it will not spoil content from Gravemaidens.
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
Warmaidens is the dark, action-packed conclusion to the heartwrenching Gravemaidens fantasy duology. Kammani and the maidens are now going to war against the ruler who tried to entomb them.
Just a few moons after escaping the tomb in Alu, Kammani and the other runaway maidens have found refuge in the city-state of Manzazu. There, Kammani has become a respected healer, especially among the warriors she’s brought back from the brink of death. Now that the nightmares of Alu are fading, she can finally decide whether or not to take Dagan’s hand in marriage.
But when an assassin murders a healer he believes is Kammani and attempts to kill the displaced queen of Alu, the maidens realize they’ve been found.
Hungry for revenge, Manzazu’s queen wants to strike back at Alu with her fiercest weapons—her scorpion warrior maidens—but Kammani knows that war harms more than it heals. To save the innocents and any chance of a future with Dagan, Kammani must take down Alu’s ruler before their lives burn up in the flames of war.
After reading Gravemaidens, I wasn’t sure how there was going to be a sequel. After reading it, I now realize there was a lot more that needed to get done after the maidens fled the tomb.
I really enjoyed Gravemaidens and was excited to hop back into this story. Warmaidens takes place nine months after they escaped the tomb and fled Alu to Manzazu. In those nine months we see the changes these characters have gone through, especially in Kammani’s sister, Nanea. Nanea went from a wishful thinking child to a more mature women very quickly. Escaping death might do that to you.
I found myself not liking Kammani in this book in comparison to Gravemaidens. I’m not sure what about her rubbed me the wrong way, but I was really frustrated reading through some of her thought processes. It was always brought back to being a healer and wanting to not do any harm. I felt like that was her only personality trait and it was so repetitive. Any time something happened that she was involved in, it was always brought back to this thought point. I wanted more out of her personality than that and I thought we lost some of her from Gravemaidens.
I can say though that I appreciate her growth through this book a lot. Her ability to change her viewpoint allows her to continue to develop her relationship with Dagan and Nanea in a more loving and fulfilling way. It was so sweet.
Another thing I didn’t really care much for are the fighting scenes. Again, not sure what about them rubbed me the wrong way, but I wasn’t a fan. Except for the final fight scene – that was intense! I also didn’t like the pacing. It was a quick book, but it felt like it dragged at some points. It ended up being the same sequence of events. Plan, attack, fail, retreat – over and over again and it got repetitive. Maybe that was the point as Kammani is stuck in this loop and tries to find her way out and save herself and her friends? But it was rough reading.
Plus, with all the jumbledness of their failed attacks and other people’s interference, the book felt jumbled as well. I liked the character growth, I liked the ending, and I liked certain scenes, but the book has some issues.
Warning: there are remarks of rape and an attempted rape. There is also a comment of someone being “broken” after losing an arm. This definitely was hard to read through and didn’t feel right, so I did want to make note of that. Other possibly concerning things discussed are child brides and the common mention of the lack of rights for women. I understand why this was included in the book and it is discussed, but this might be upsetting so I wanted to include it.
Overall, it was an interesting book. I wanted to reach inside the story and nicely smack some of the characters but unfortunately, I can’t. But, it was a quick read that nicely wrapped up the series for me, even if there was a lot going on. So I think I’m gonna give this a .5 // 5 stars.
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If this book sounds interesting, be sure to check out The Kinder Poison by Natalie Mae
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If you liked this review, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
ARC Review: Greythorne
I received a copy of Greythorne by Crystal Smith from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I had a physical ARC of Greythorne that I received at YallFEST 2019. I got it during a mystery ARC drop where there were only 25 copies and they handed out this title. I had not read Bloodleaf but I heard great things about the first book, so I was excited! I requested a copy through NetGalley because digital takes up way less space, but I find myself loving the series too much to part with my physical copies. Regardless, here are my thoughts.
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
Princess Aurelia’s life is turned upside down when the kingdom she thought she saved turns to ruin, a loved one is tragically killed in a shipwreck, and her home country refuses to respect her brother’s legitimate claim to the throne. With no place left to call her own, Aurelia returns to Greythorne Manor—her best friend’s family mansion—only to get swept up in a coup d’état on the night of her brother’s coronation.
With everyone turned against her and enemies closing in on all sides, Aurelia has nothing left to lose in a mad fight to protect the only people she has left—her family. But in her darkest moments when all seems grim, will Aurelia find a spark of hope from a love she thought long lost?
After finishing Bloodleaf I wasn’t sure where the story was heading. The plot was finished right? WRONG. Clearly, there is much more to the story. Jumping into Greythorne I found myself really confused. We start a few months after the end of Bloodleaf and Zan is dead!? I was so confused and thought that the ending of Bloodleaf had changed between the ARC and the finished copy – but I just had to be patient.
I am not patient. I really wanted to find out what was going on and when I did, I was not happy. Crystal – why do you have to mess with us like this!?
The trend of middle book syndrome concerned me. I thought Greythorne was not going to be as good as Bloodleaf because we’re in the middle of a story right? WRONG AGAIN. It was so much better! My only fear now is what’s going to happen in Ebonwilde! But, I’ll have to wait another 18 or so months to find out! (cue the endless sobbing)
So I loved this book and the series overall – and we’re adding it to the list of “books I regret not reading sooner”. I should make a Goodreads shelf for them one day!
I thought the plot was so good, all the puzzle pieces were coming together in a way that the only word I can think of is, relieving. Like you see everything building up and then finally, you understand what is happening and it’s almost a relief. Okay maybe relief isn’t the best word, but it’s the only one I can think of.
And I’m not going to get into character development because it was superb. Not just from book 1 to 2, but through book 2 our characters change and grow and I loved it.
It was also nice to get to spend time with characters from book 1 we didn’t get to see much. Overall, I really like this book and this series. It’s new and different and fun and yeah – I’m rambling. Let’s wrap this up. // 5 stars from me.
Greythorne releases on September 1st, so be sure to preorder your copy today!
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If this book sounds interesting to you, be sure to check out Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco
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If you liked this review, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
NetGalley & Edelweiss Update: June 2020
NetGalley and Edelweiss are messing with me. Not only has it been dead for my pending requests (very little activity) but any activity I get is mostly declines. It’s not nice!!
But, it’s been a while since I did an update like this so . . . here’s my NetGalley and Edelweiss accounts at the moment.
NetGalley #1
So far, I’ve been approved for these titles:
Declined for these titles:
And currently waiting on these titles:
Yeah, I’m in trouble.
NetGalley #2
I’ve been approved for these titles:
Denied for these titles:
And currently pending for these titles:
Edelweiss
Edelweiss hates me. Like seriously hates me. On average I have a 6% chance of getting approved for a book I requested on Edelweiss, which is actually really sad.
Here are the two I’ve been approved for in the two or so months I’ve had an account. This is excluding The Boundless which I received through Edelweiss from a book tour. Ironically, I was denied the title a week before finding out I would receive it through Edelweiss for the tour. Super ironic.
So far, I’ve been approved for these titles:
Declined for these titles:
Yeah, I’m crying too . . .
And currently pending on these titles:
Will I actually receive any of these? Probably not . . . but a girl can dream!
Well, this is my current update for my NetGalley and Edelweiss accounts! I’m so screwed for NetGalley – 15+ pending requests. I’m an idiot. But, it seems that I’m in limbo, so who knows if/when I’ll ever get approved for these titles? Cause I sure don’t.
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If you liked this post, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
ARC Review: Burn Our Bodies Down
I received an eARC of Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Burn Our Bodies Down releases on July 7th, 2020 – so be sure to preorder your copy today!
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
From the author of the New York Times bestseller Wilder Girls comes a new twisty thriller about a girl whose past has always been a mystery—until she decides to return to her mother’s hometown . . . where history has a tendency to repeat itself.
Ever since Margot was born, it’s been just her and her mother. No answers to Margot’s questions about what came before. No history to hold on to. No relative to speak of. Just the two of them, stuck in their run-down apartment, struggling to get along.
But that’s not enough for Margot. She wants family. She wants a past. And she just found the key she needs to get it: A photograph, pointing her to a town called Phalene. Pointing her home. Only, when Margot gets there, it’s not what she bargained for.
Margot’s mother left for a reason. But was it to hide her past? Or was it to protect Margot from what’s still there?
The only thing Margot knows for sure is there’s poison in their family tree, and their roots are dug so deeply into Phalene that now that she’s there, she might never escape.
I read an ARC of Wilder Girls by Rory Power and I liked it. I wanted to know what was going to happen next, but I wasn’t sure how much I really liked the story. But after reading Burn Our Bodies Down, it’s clear that I didn’t like WG nearly as much as I like BOBD. I’m a sucker for thrillers and this book brought some interesting characters to light.
For one, we have a morally grey main character, who follows in the footsteps of her morally grey mother/grandmother. I think characters that are morally grey, especially in thrillers, is much more interesting and entertaining than people who are inherently good or bad. Margot is seventeen and wants to know more about her family and she’s willing to ditch her neglectful mother to do so. Arriving in town, she makes a friend, Tess, who helps her figure out why her mother left and the mystery of her family.
I loved Tess’ character. I thought she was great opposite Margot. Where Margot is cold, Tess is warm. Margot is quiet and to herself, Tess is outgoing and bubbly. It made the scenes with them together more fun honestly. And of course we have Tess’ mother Jo and her grandmother Vera/Gram who are like cats fighting on the street. Nasty, ruthless women who are not only manipulative, but solely care for themselves and occasionally for their family.
Tess’ relationship between her mother is heartbreaking. She honestly just wants to be loved and her mother can’t bear to even show her the slightest bit of affection. It makes her motivation to run away and find out about her mother’s past reasonable in comparison to the life she was currently living. And of course Gram, who we learn to love then hate before we can blink. I felt so bad for Tess, not having a good relationship with anyone in her family and then suffering the trauma of discovering the reason why her mother left. It’s messed up.
So, let me just add this – this book is gruesome. There are some scenes that I WISH I could get out of my head and I might be permanently scarred from it. There is some scenes with gore and other scenes with weird stuff to up the creepy factor. If you are not a fan of dark fiction/science fiction – do not read this book. For the most part, it’s pretty tame, but other moments are really intense.
Overall, this was a // 5 star read for me. The beginning was a bit slow as Tess makes her way home, but it really picks up about 30% of the way through. Once you’re past 60% it’s like a jet racing past to the finish line. I couldn’t put this book down after that.
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If this book sounds interesting to you, check out One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus.
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If you liked this review, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
Review: The Unspoken Name
I purchased this book back in February because 1) the cover and 2) the premise of this story. A sacrifice who avoids her duty and decides to live? UGH GIVE TO ME! A powerful mage who promises her freedom and safety? OMG! The Gods are angered by this? WHOA I NEED THIS BOOK NOW!
Yes, those were the exact thoughts going through my head! Once I was home, I realized that I had been approved for this title on NetGalley, but for whatever reason it went straight into being archived, so I couldn’t download it. But, oh well! I read the physical copy I bought and it was good!
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
What if you knew how and when you will die?
Csorwe does — she will climb the mountain, enter the Shrine of the Unspoken, and gain the most honored title: sacrifice.
But on the day of her foretold death, a powerful mage offers her a new fate. Leave with him, and live. Turn away from her destiny and her god to become a thief, a spy, an assassin—the wizard’s loyal sword. Topple an empire, and help him reclaim his seat of power.
But Csorwe will soon learn – gods remember, and if you live long enough, all debts come due.
Csorwe, pronounced like doorway, is a human sacrifice who decides to live. Yeah, the premise got me really excited for this book. I wanted it to the be a five star read, I really did – but it’s not.
Let’s start off with the writing/chapters. The writing is good! But very descriptive and she explains a lot and generally kinda slow. While I liked the way she gives us everything that is going on, I felt like it was dragging a bit. And the chapters were incredibly long. Usually 20+ pages long. I don’t mind long chapters so long as the book progresses quickly and there’s a lot to push us forward, but it made this book feel extra slow.
Then we have the worlds. Though she tried to explain it well, the worlds still felt a bit unfamiliar and hard to imagine. It’s clear we travel through teleportation, I think, into different ports. Those ports equals different worlds in the same universe? See, I’m honestly not even sure how this whole thing works. It wasn’t very clear to me how the world(s) are set up nor how exactly they traveled, but that’s less important. What is important is getting there and knowing that these worlds can die.
Run on the power of gods, if those gods are forgotten/parish, well then the world will go too. Which is really cool! We get some awesome moments in those dying worlds and it leads us towards the somewhat scary reality of what they’re trying to prevent.
Next, the characters. OMG the banter between Csorwe and Tal was A+ witty sibling banter, even though they are not siblings. Not only is there lots of insults and cussing, but the genuine distaste and distrust is hilarious. There were several moments where Tal had me DYING from laughter due to his comments/his actions. While Tal is hilarious, he does undergo and complex and needed change. It was refreshing to see him grow and become a character that I really liked.
Sethennai, Csorwe’s savior, is an interesting character though. He comes across fun and adventurous in the beginning of the book, then switches to a more emotionless, calm character. Not sure why the shift happened, but I noticed that change in his personality. I’m not sure I necessarily like his character, but I thought he was a great motivator for Csorwe and becomes an obstacle in his own right for her.
Then we have our main character, Csorwe. She’s a complex person and I thought her backstory, her journey, and her self realizations were great development for her. She’s witty, smart, and wants to live life to the fullest. Which makes it difficult when you’re the human sacrifice.
Then we have Shuthmili, who was also super cute and a great character. Her innocence was a great contrast to Csorwe’s brutal experiences. The soft romance that blossoms between them is also really cute. I loved her kindness and desire to learn while also being an incredibly powerful mage. Her powers are unlike anyone has seen and the hoops she has to jump through to live and survive are immense.
Since the author is gay, and our main characters are all queer, I am not going to remark on the romance other than to say, Csorwe and Shuthmili are adorable and Tal deserves better (thank goodness he realized that too!).
So, writing was long and a bit slow, plot was interesting if not confusing, the characters were awesome, and the romances are cute.
It was honestly hard to rate this book, but I think a // 5 stars is a fine rating. It wasn’t bad because I did enjoy the story, but there were a lot of things (mostly pace and lengthy chapters) that dragged the plot along. So I think this is a fair rating.
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If this book sounds interesting to you, check out The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon.
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If you liked this review, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
ARC Review: Cinderella is Dead
I received a copy of Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Let me start off by saying – there are some big themes in this book that the author covers. If you want more POC LGBTQIA+ representation, fierce female main characters, fighting the patriarchy energy, and overall discussion on oppression – Welcome! You’re going to appreciate this book. Cinderella is Dead will release on July 7th, 2020 so be sure to preorder this amazing retelling!
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
It’s 200 years after Cinderella found her prince, but the fairy tale is over. Teen girls are now required to appear at the Annual Ball, where the men of the kingdom select wives based on a girl’s display of finery. If a suitable match is not found, the girls not chosen are never heard from again.
Sixteen-year-old Sophia would much rather marry Erin, her childhood best friend, than parade in front of suitors. At the ball, Sophia makes the desperate decision to flee, and finds herself hiding in Cinderella’s mausoleum. There, she meets Constance, the last known descendant of Cinderella and her step sisters. Together they vow to bring down the king once and for all–and in the process, they learn that there’s more to Cinderella’s story than they ever knew . . .
This fresh take on a classic story will make readers question the tales they’ve been told, and root for girls to break down the constructs of the world around them.
First off, I love this feminist anthem. An all encompassing feminism sweeping through the land, in a place where women are seen as property. I thought the plot was not only unique, but exciting, because it’s every woman for herself (kinda). I read this book in a single afternoon – I couldn’t put it down.
The twists and turns of this story just prove how versatile the story of Cinderella can be. And I thought this was a great tale to tell. We have a POC main character who is also LGBTQIA+, because representation (woo!), and she is not a demure girl. She is ready to change the world.
I really enjoyed this new take on a classic fairytale, because sometimes it’s too male dominated. And this book proves that men are trash. Well, most men are trash. In this world, men have all the power. Women have no rights and are property owned by their husbands – if they can manage to be married. The king hosts a ball every year allowing suitors and girls to come together and get engaged. Except it’s mandatory for the women to attend while it’s optional for men. Also, women only get three years to go and find a husband before they are forfeited and forced to work in the castle as a spinster.
Yeah – these men are TRASH.
I thought the writing was great, the message was great, and we have some awesome representation for girls everywhere. I don’t think there was anything I disliked about the story, except maybe Sophia’s obsessed with her crush Erin at the beginning. It was borderline creepy how pushy she was, but it’s as indicative of a man as any might be with a girl, so maybe just proves once again that men are trash. AKA, guys do a similar thing and are called persistent – but it’s not, it’s just creepy. Though I do want to point out that Sophia doesn’t pressure Erin to love her or be with her, she’s pressuring her to leave with her. Which is a different dynamic that still felt not good because Erin is not down with the idea.
Erin tells her multiple times to leave her alone and stop trying to push her to leave. Sophia is not taking no for an answer and for the first quarter of the book is trying to persuade Erin to leave with her because they love each other. While I get her want to be with her, especially since she technically can’t, it was a bit uncomfortable to see Sophia so pushy and not listen to Erin’s wants. Even if it went against Erin’s true feelings.
Besides her pushiness at the beginning, and her quick ability to fall in and out of love, this was an awesome story and I am going to scream about it for a while. The imagery is amazing, there are twists and turns that you won’t see coming, and it’s an overall fantastic book.
Also men are trash lol
So with that being said, my review is a solid 
// 5 stars! I mean there wasn’t anything huge, too upsetting, or bad about this book. There was no strong reason for me to downgrade it and I loved the story. So it gets a perfect score from me. I mean, I couldn’t put it down physically so it’s a top read for me. This book is filled to the brim with representation, so if you’re looking for gay, POC, feminist, patriarchy smashing characters (and that’s just the main character) – welcome to your next favorite read!
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If you like this book, check out The Court of Miracles (out on June 2nd) by Kester Grant or Foul is Fair by Hannah Capin.
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If you liked this review, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
ARC Review: The Court of Miracles
I received an eARC of The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book releases on June 2nd, 2020, so make sure to preorder a copy today!
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
In the violent urban jungle of an alternate 1828 Paris, the French Revolution has failed and the city is divided between merciless royalty and nine underworld criminal guilds, known as the Court of Miracles. Eponine (Nina) Thénardier is a talented cat burglar and member of the Thieves Guild. Nina’s life is midnight robberies, avoiding her father’s fists, and watching over her naïve adopted sister, Cosette (Ettie). When Ettie attracts the eye of the Tiger–the ruthless lord of the Guild of Flesh–Nina is caught in a desperate race to keep the younger girl safe. Her vow takes her from the city’s dark underbelly to the glittering court of Louis XVII. And it also forces Nina to make a terrible choice–protect Ettie and set off a brutal war between the guilds, or forever lose her sister to the Tiger.
First off, the tag line for this story is what caused me to request it and it’s pretty accurate! Les Misérables meets Six of Crows in this page-turning adventure as a young thief finds herself going head to head with leaders of Paris’s criminal underground in the wake of the French Revolution. I love the rewrite of Les Mis because I think we can all agree that Eponine deserved better. And she got that new ending in this story and not only did it make me jump for joy, but it made me love this book more.
We enter France after the first revolution has failed Eponine (Nina) must go to the Court of Miracles and pledge her allegiance to the Guild of Thieves in order to survive. Her sister has been taken by the Tiger and gave Nina the chance to get away. She’s one of the best thieves in the Guild and while she is surviving, she also is plotting her revenge. Years later, she adopts a young Cosette and cares for her. When the Tiger realizes Cosette’s beauty though, Nina does everything she can to take him down.
So adopted sisters are something I don’t see often and I loved it. Second, historical fiction of the French Revolution is exactly what I needed. From start to finish Nina not only proves she’s a tough cookie and a survivor, but that she has maintained a somewhat good heart through her trauma. We love morally grey characters. Another thing I really liked about this book was the fact that there wasn’t really a love interest. Ettie jokes with Nina about certain people being in love with her, but there is never confirmation and acceptance of Nina loving anyone in a romantic way.
I not only thought that it fit with the story well, but for once we don’t have a teenage girl falling in love during a revenge plot or a secret agent, thriller style plot. Nina is too busy formulating her revenge, taking care of Ettie, and looking out for herself to fall in love which I thought is pretty badass. We stan an independent queen. Now, I’m not sure if Nina is Ace, because she hints she might like a certain character, but she never fully confirms her feelings or talks about loving anyone romantically, so until the author says otherwise, I’m going with she’s Ace.
Overall, I didn’t have any complaints about this book. I thought it was a great rewrite and having this secret criminal society working in the underground of Paris was so exciting to read. This was a solid 
.5 // 5 stars and people are going to love this book!
So, if you like historical fiction, books set in Paris/Les Mis, morally grey characters, thrilling adventure, and a top notch revenge story – you’ve found your next favorite read!
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If this book sounds interesting to you, be sure to check out Spectacle by Jodie Lynn Zdrok for your mid-1800’s Paris murder mystery vibes or The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi for your mid-1800’s heist novel!
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If you liked this review, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
ARC Review & Author Interview: Shielded
I received an eARC of Shielded by KayLynn Flanders from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. And stick around for an interview with the author after my review!
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
The kingdom of Hálendi is in trouble. It’s losing the war at its borders, and rumors of a new, deadlier threat on the horizon have surfaced. Princess Jennesara knows her skills on the battlefield would make her an asset and wants to help, but her father has other plans.
As the second-born heir to the throne, Jenna lacks the firstborn’s–her brother’s–magical abilities, so the king promises her hand in marriage to the prince of neighboring Turia in exchange for resources Hálendi needs. Jenna must leave behind everything she has ever known if she is to give her people a chance at peace.
Only, on the journey to reach her betrothed and new home, the royal caravan is ambushed, and Jenna realizes the rumors were wrong–the new threat is worse than anyone imagined. Now Jenna must decide if revealing a dangerous secret is worth the cost before it’s too late–for her and for her entire kingdom.
This is such a badass book with a badass main character. Jenna, our main character, is a Princess who lives her life training, studying, and hiding the fact that she has magic she’s not supposed to posses. Her father sends her off to the neighboring kingdom to be wed to the Crown Heir, Prince Enzo, but tragedy strikes when their caravan is attacked on the way there. The princess, in all her glory, takes us on a wild journey through magical forest, epic battles, and love rollercoasters.
I loved this book! It was a fun ride with action, mystery, and love – all the things you could ask for in a great YA fantasy novel. The beginning was a little slow, which makes sense since we are being introduced to this kingdom and their history, but the plot quickly picks up and takes the reader on a wild ride. I loved how the magic system was explained and how it worked. The rules that could and could not be broken upped the antics and made the stakes much higher for Jenna.
Speaking of Jenna, I love this character. She’s fierce, smart, but so kind. It was nice to see a badass female character also not be a jerk. I think all too often we get the rough girls that can’t be loved and never enough of the tough girls who love just as fiercely. It was so refreshing. We meet a lot of snarky, sassy, lovely characters in this series and the villains are top notch. Their motivation is clear, their path is set, and while they lack a bit of one on one interaction, they are still a serious threat.
This book is great for anyone who loves action, adventure, and tough girls. Jenna is not only a tough cookie, but such a sweetheart and I love her interactions with everyone she meets. She’s the kind of MC you want to be friends with. This was a solid 
.5//5 stars for me.
Now, let’s get into the real serious stuff with the author of Shielded herself – KayLynn Flanders! I was fortunate enough to be able to interview KayLynn about her experience writing Shielded and her life as a writer overall.
1. What inspired you to write Shielded?
Shielded started from a dream. The dream was really different from what the book turned into (there were neon yellow tanks in the dream?), but the emotions for the moment in the dream stayed. I won’t share spoilers, but there were people in danger, and I woke up before they were safe. My heart was pounding so hard at the cliffhanger, and I needed to find a way for them to be okay so I could go back to sleep. So I came up with a solution, but the characters stayed with me. I let that idea grow over a few months, asking questions about who the characters were, why they were in danger, and how they got out of danger, and eventually, it all became Shielded.
2. If you could choose to live in the world of Shielded, would you and where?
Definitely! I’d love to see all of the Plateau, but I’d probably feel most at home in Turia. I love farmland and orchards.
3. Hardest part about writing your book?
Keeping the little subplot pieces tightly weaved throughout every chapter is hard for me—I forget things really fast. But I’m always learning new ways to revise to help me keep track of everything better!
4. Can you tell us about any deleted scenes you wish could have stayed in the book?
Enzo used to have point-of-view chapters. I loved them, but it was the right choice to take them out. If you’re screaming WHY right now, it’s because the story is Jenna’s—Enzo didn’t have the arc that she does. I’m hoping to release some of them after the book comes out, though!
5. Favorite thing about writing/publishing a book?
I love creating the kind of story I want to read. I love seeing my drafts get better and better and closer to the original inspiration (or take a turn for the even better than I’d planned).
6. Any writing advice you can give?
Don’t be afraid to re-write. If something isn’t working, find different ways to see your story and use different mediums (paper and pen, white board, etc.) when brainstorming. Don’t be so locked in to an idea that you get stuck.
7. Any current works or plans for writing in progress?
Yes! I’m working with my editor on a sequel to Shielded, and it’s shaping up to be a lot of fun—high stakes, new lands, two POVs. I’ve also got a retelling I’m working on that I really love (and hope you all get to see someday).
8. If Shielded became a movie/TV show – who would be your dream cast?
So, the ages aren’t quite right on this, and I’ve only got a few I’ve thought about, but I’d go with a younger
Saoirse Ronan (Jennesara)
Ben Barnes (Enzo)
William Moseley (Ren)
But I’m open to suggestions!!
9. What is your favorite book and did it have any affect on your writing?
I don’t think I can name a single Most Influential Book. Every book I read leaves its mark inside me and helps shape who I am and how I see the world. Growing up, I read several classics with sweeping language that captured emotion, I read sci-fi with mind-blowing twists, and fantasy with epic adventures. I try to bring all my favorite parts about reading into every story I write.
Thank you KayLynn for taking the time to answer my questions! If you’re looking for a great debut novel, check this one out! You won’t regret it.
And be sure to preorder Shielded before it releases on July 21st, 2020! I will provide links to order below and be sure to preorder from your local indie store if possible! 🙂
One More Page Books (my local indie)
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If this book sounds interesting, I would also check out Of Silver and Shadows by Jennifer Gruenke or The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White.
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If you liked this review, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
ARC Review: Hunting November
I received an eARC of Hunting November by Adriana Mather from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is the sequel to Killing November, so if you haven’t read the first book, check out my review!
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
Surviving a few weeks at the world’s most lethal boarding school was one thing. But now comes the real test: Can November Adley find her missing father before her enemies find her? Subterfuge is the name of the game in this thrilling sequel to Killing November, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of How to Hang a Witch.
After surviving a crash course in espionage at the mysterious Academy Absconditi, November has only one purpose: finding her missing father. Along with fellow student (and heartthrob) Ash, November follows the clues that her father left, embarking on the deadliest treasure hunt of her life. The first clue is in her hometown, where old friends beckon and unexpected enemies lurk around every corner. The second clue is in Europe, where revelations about her family’s history will plunge her into an international web of deception, lies, and intrigue. The third clue is deep in enemy territory, surrounded by the most skilled assassins and master strategists, and where everyone wants her and her father dead. Can one girl with limited training infiltrate a centuries-old organization that is powerful enough to topple empires? November only knows that she’ll do whatever it takes to save her father . . . or die trying.
To start off, we pick right up from the action at the end of Killing November, which was a little disorienting since I haven’t read the book in a year. We immediately jump into action as the characters race off into action, getting the party started. Once the action starts it doesn’t stop for November. It was so intense, especially at the end, that I ended up staying up until 3:00am to finish this story.
I thought it was a great end to Killing November. There was action (duh, they’re like spies), drama, and good endearing moments. I loved the moments between November and Ash specifically cause teenage love is cute, but it also broke up the high risk action scenes. There was a lot I liked about the book, but I want to keep this spoiler free, so I won’t say what it is.
The biggest reasons why I didn’t give this a higher rating though is 1) I was immediately thrown into action with no recap, or explanation, just action. I’m not a big fan of that. 2) There were some moments where certain characters experienced a total personality switch between book 1 to 2. And it remains unexplained through the entire book. 3) I thought the ending was sweet, but it was predictable and felt a little lack luster to me.
I was a little disappointed at the ending actually. We get this intense story with a huge climax and then the ending felt flat after that. I wanted the action to keep going but it just suddenly stops. While I’m happy for November, I wanted the spy action to continue “of screen” and keep the momentum going.
Besides those issues I thought this was an awesome sequel! We get a nice, even end to November’s story and I’m fairly satisfied. This was a solid 
.75 // 5 stars for me.
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If this series sounds interesting, check out Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo or Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte.
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We Write At Dawn 