It’s almost fall which means I have to prepare myself with all the fun fall things like tags, recommendations, and the holidays!
I saw this post on Erin @ Rins Reads blog and I thought it was so cute! Fall is my favorite season, so of course I have to do a fall time book tag to welcome in the best season of all!
I didn’t read nearly as much this month as I did the previous months. And that’s okay. But you know what’s not okay? The fact that I can’t format this post like the rest of my posts because, for whatever reason, WordPress is messing up the formatting no matter what I do! So this post is going to look different and I’m sorry about that. I hate it too.
Anyways, here’s what I read in the month of September!
September was an okay month reading wise, but a few books have to be carried over in order for me to finish everything like I need to. I have a feeling some books from October will carry over into November, but if I’m able to get through all of these I would be so happy!
I have a few book tour books, some NetGalley reads, and
Here is my current October TBR.
I made a mistake . . . I didn’t plan ahead and forgot to write a post for today. Thankfully, I remembered at the good old time of 12:00am that I didn’t have anything ready to go and ran to my computer. I’m dumb. But, I have a solution!
It’s book recommendation time!
I found this tag on A Rambling Reviewer site and I was pulled in so fast. I too am a Bookaholic and this tag just seemed to call to me. If anyone decides to do this tag, feel free to tag me in your post or let me know in the comments! I would love to see your responses!
I made my way over to Barnes & Noble this past weekend to pick up some new releases that I have been dying to read, so I thought I would show you what I got!
With only a week left in the month, I thought it would be fun to hype up some of my favorite September releases that I think people should put on their TBR! This is mostly going to be debut or not as well know releases, so no Cassie Clare or any other sequels/spin offs.
Some of these I haven’t read yet, but want to, so I’ll mark which ones I have and have not read. For the unread books, I’ll be putting in the official synopsis!
Let’s get started!
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!
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.
This tag is originally from Jacquie @ Rattle the Stars but I first saw it on Lori @ The Reading Fairy‘s site and knew I had to do it!
I haven’t done a book tag in a little bit and this one looked so fun! Plus, my reading has started to slow down and I definitely need some more content on my blog. I hope you guys like this post!
It took me a week to read White Fox by Sara Faring, which means that I am not reading a lot, so I thought it would be fun to do a currently reading and watching post!
My watching habits are mood based, so it can honestly change from week to week. But this is what I’ve been watching and reading this week and what I plan to watch soon!
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!
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!
This month is full of books I need to read for blog tours and for review before publication. It’s kind of stressful, but I’m also really enjoying the books I’ve read, so it’s not a chore for me. Here’s some of the books I read this month, the books I’m currently reading, and the books I plan to read next!
Today, I am reviewing the audiobook for Haunting the Deep by Adriana Mather. This was the first audiobook I’ve ever listened to (at least fully) and it was pretty good! Finding the right speed for me was tough and I’m pretty sure I missed like half the book just zoning out listening, but I really liked the experience! Especially since I can get them through my library through Libby.
I received an eARC of The Hunter and the Mage by Kaitlyn Davis in exchange for an honest review. Kaitlyn sent this to me a couple of months ago and I finally got a chance to read it!
The Hunter and the Mage is the sequel to The Raven and the Dove – so if you haven’t read book 1, be sure to order a copy today! I’ll also link my review here if you want to check that out!
This will be a spoiler free review, but I cannot guarantee that this review will not include spoilers from The Raven and the Dove – so if you haven’t read it yet, you have been warned!
This past week has been amazing for my writing! I wish I had Scrivener to track my progress, but alas I have Word and my memory at this point. Which means that some of these numbers might be off (sorry). I’m trying my best.
It’s been a little while since I’ve done a writing update and since I’ve gotten a lot accomplished this week, I thought it was time to let you know where my book is!
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
Alright! Another month done, another list of books I read this month!
I did really well reading wise. Not only did I complete all the books on my TBR, but then I read a couple extra as well! I’m really impressed with myself – I didn’t think I was going to be able to read all of these titles in the span of 31 days, but I guess I shouldn’t doubt myself!
Check out all of the books I read in August! I have tagged reviews for most, if not, all of them for you to check out!
I received The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart from Goodreads from one of their giveaways in exchange for an honest review.
I was hesitant to read and review this book due to some drama on book twitter, but I had won the copy and felt I should at least read it.
So, here are my thoughts.
I originally DNFed (did not finish) The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi last year. I had started reading in February 2019 and gave up after 100 pages in August 2019. The beginning was so slow for me, I just could not get through it. I tried to push through, but it felt like I was going nowhere with this story, like I was moving backwards.
Then, November 2019 I got an ARC of The Silvered Serpents from YALLFest and decided I should give this book another try. And I finally finished it!
I feel like this is definitely exposing myself, but I also need a post for today, so I’m going to be going over all of the *upcoming ARCs I need to read.
Granted, I’m not reading these all at once. These are just the total number of ARCs I need to read and get through *at some point* – though I do have a lot of these on my immediate TBR.
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!
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.
I am going to be continuing ARC August into ARC September, because I have so many more ARCs to read, it’s not even funny. A lot of these are ones I requested and they all just happened to be fulfilled at once, so here I am, panicking.
But, without further ado, here are the books I am going to read for September!
I converted my personal Instagram into a Bookstagram!! I used to run a bookstagram with my friend and I missed taking pretty pictures, so I decided to do it again!
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!
I found this tag over on Through Bookshelves blog and just knew I had to do it! I was trying to figure out what to post for today, so why not another tag?
I tag Morrisa @ Morrbooks, Alexa @ Writing the Universe, and Belle @ Belle’s Archive to participate!
I’ve been in this awful habit of requesting sequels I have the first book for and just haven’t read. It’s such a bad habit that it’s caused me to have more than 20 eARCs I had to read and simply not enough time. Which is why I’m basically bingeing off all the upcoming September and October reads right now. I’m overwhelmed!
I received an eARC of A Curse of Gold by Annie Sullivan through NetGalley from one of these requests. I owned the ebook of A Touch of Gold, so thankfully it wasn’t too much of a panic to receive book 2, but I was still panicking a little.
I found this tag over at Laura’s Book Reviews. It looked like so much fun, I had to do it for myself!
The rules:
Answer these questions truthfully.
Once you’ve completed this tag, tag 5 other book bloggers to answer these questions next.
I don’t have anyone to really tag for this, so I’m tagging everyone! Be sure to tag me or comment so I can see your answers.
Recently, I DNFed Sanctuary by Paola Mendoza and Abby Sher. I enjoyed the book, but unfortunately, the anxiety and paranoia Vali was dealing with was too much for me to handle. I started reflecting that and becoming so anxious I was about to have a panic attack. Needless to say, definitely couldn’t continue reading it, even though I liked the story and was interested to see what happened next.
I’m not sure I would call it my guilty pleasure, but I am a huge fan of A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab – actually, anything by her really! I could re-read that series any day. That and Crescent City by Sarah J. Maas.
I really hated The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Another book I hated was Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman. Could not get into either of them at all and ultimately DNFed.
Oh jeez, probably The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. Absolutely awful! One of the most boring books I’ve ever read in my entire life and I’m still mad I was forced to read it. This book made me hate my 11th grade English class so much.
I am not a big re-reader. In fact, I haven’t re-read a book in years so I can’t really answer this question. When I was younger, I re-read Twilight, Vampire Academy, and The Mortal Instruments series multiple times. I couldn’t get enough of them.
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.
Ohhh, that’s a difficult question. There’s not a single book alone I couldn’t live without, I can’t give up any of my books! If I HAD to choose one, then my first edition copy of Vicious by V.E. Schwab. Not only did I pay a lot for it, but I love that book so much, it’s one of my prized possessions.
Blood & Honey by Shelby Mahurin. The ending made me so mad, I threw my kindle across the room . . .
It’s a tie between Crescent City and Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas. Both made me absolutely sob for over an hour.
There are some pretty bad book covers, but I don’t think I’ve found one that I hate the most. I don’t like the new ACOTAR covers at all. I think they’re hideous.
If you didn’t see, I created a Ko-fi account! I’m not expecting anything to come from it, but if you like my content and want to me get my own domain and host bookish giveaways, I’ve linked it here! Thanks to anyone who checks it out!
I had to take a few days to really digest this book, because if I wrote my initial thoughts after finishing this it would just be screaming (AAAHHH) across the screen.
I won an ARC of To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini from Bookish First and Tor in exchange for an honest review. I’m going to start off by saying that I love the Eragon series (though I haven’t read it in many years) so I was a little biased going into this. But let me tell you, this book is so good, it blew my expectations out of the water!
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!
So we’re doing something a little different today. Today, I am doing a Bookish This or That but with a twist! I teamed up with Alexa @ Writing the Universe to guess what I think her answers to these questions would be. Alexa and I have been friends for a year and a half now and I think I know her reading preferences enough to at least guess.
I am going to post my guesses for Alexa first and then below I will be posting my own responses! If you want to see Alexa’s guesses about me and her responses, make sure to check out her post!
We got this post off of Kim @ KimberlyFayeReads so be sure to give her some love!
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:
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:
I love doing mid-month updates because it allows me to not only see my progress, but think back on the books I read that month. I still can’t believe I’ve read as much as I have and I think I might actually finish my TBR this month! I keep surprising myself every time I set a high TBR, thinking I couldn’t possibly finish all those books.
August and September are my crazy months due to all of the ARCs I received from publishers, giveaways, and what I just currently had. I’m hoping things calm down quickly so I can read books that I have been dying to read (like Kingdom of Copper!) but just don’t have the time right now. Anyways, here’s what I’ve read, what I’m currently reading, and what I plan to read next!
I did this a few months ago under a different name (Making Assumptions About Books I’ve Never Read) but I thought, hey! New books, new covers, more things I haven’t had a chance to read yet – why not!?
I’m always catching myself making assumptions about books and what they’ll be about based on the cover. Usually I go for aesthetically pretty covers because I think they’re pretty (duh), which means that sometimes I buy a book without even knowing what it’s about. It’s pretty ridiculous and I really have to stop myself form doing it! Today, I am going to be making assumptions about what these books are about based on their cover and title alone. I will post the actual synopsis under my assumption so you can laugh at me at how badly I guess these books!
All of these assumptions are written BEFORE I read the synopsis and paste it below. Let me know how well you think I did on guessing these!
Hey guys! Some exciting news! We have a new blog tour coming out! Sign ups went out today, so if you’re interested, be sure to follow the link to sign up!
We are so excited about this book. This is an INTERNATIONAL tour and it is open to bloggers and Instagrammers alike! Instagrammers will have to be US only because you will receive a physical ARC of the book but all bloggers (US + International) are welcome! Bloggers will receive an electronic ARC for review.
This is an Own Voices book so we are prioritizing Asian reviewers, specifically Chinese reviewers, but all are welcome to apply!
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.
I have been holding off reading Wicked Fox by Kat Cho for a while. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this book honestly but it sounded so good that I didn’t want to ignore it. When I got approved as a Penguin Teen Influencer, one of the first books I received was an e-ARC of Vicious Spirits, so I knew I had to read this book.
And here we go, adding another book to the “WHY THE HECK DID I WAIT TO READ THIS BOOK!?” list. Because I cannot believe that I didn’t read this book sooner!
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
Eighteen-year-old Gu Miyoung has a secret–she’s a gumiho, a nine-tailed fox who must devour the energy of men in order to survive. Because so few believe in the old tales anymore, and with so many evil men no one will miss, the modern city of Seoul is the perfect place to hide and hunt.
But after feeding one full moon, Miyoung crosses paths with Jihoon, a human boy, being attacked by a goblin deep in the forest. Against her better judgment, she violates the rules of survival to rescue the boy, losing her fox bead–her gumiho soul–in the process.
Jihoon knows Miyoung is more than just a beautiful girl–he saw her nine tails the night she saved his life. His grandmother used to tell him stories of the gumiho, of their power and the danger they pose to humans. He’s drawn to her anyway.
With murderous forces lurking in the background, Miyoung and Jihoon develop a tenuous friendship that blossoms into something more. But when a young shaman tries to reunite Miyoung with her bead, the consequences are disastrous . . . forcing Miyoung to choose between her immortal life and Jihoon’s.
So when I moved, I didn’t bring the finished copy of this book with me, I decided to bring the ARC. So yes, technically this is an ARC review – don’t come for me! lol
So off the bat, from page one, I was invested in this story. I don’t know much about the gumiho legends, so reading this book was so much fun for me! I loved learning about the legend and how these gumiho survive in today’s society, especially since people are so crowded together now.
Miyoung’s character is complex and realistic. She’s not overly friendly and good, but she’s not evil – she’s pretty human in that respect. While she’s cold to most people as a way to protect herself, she warms up around Jihoon enough for a friendship to blossom. And they’re friendship is really cute!
I loved Jihoon’s character a lot. Reading from his POVs made me so happy, except when he’s going through some not so fun stuff, because he has such a positively infectious attitude! Every time he’s positive, or nice, or optimistic, I found myself emulating that. It was so refreshing – especially compared to Miyoung’s cold, calculating demeanor. Usually we see the guys as reserved and cold and the girls are peppy and sweet, but this flip was great! It was way more realistic and showed that girls don’t have to be peppy or sweepingly optimistic to be good people.
I think my favorite thing about this book, besides the legends its based off of, are the characters. I found myself connecting with them easily and getting a good feel of their personalities and emotions. It was refreshing. Not to say that the plot isn’t great, because it is! This book was so well thought out I couldn’t stop myself from reading what happens next. In fact, most of the book I read in one sitting because I had to know what was going to happen next.
I’m so glad I have Vicious Spirits already!
This book is really, really good and I think fantasy lovers will adore this book! Especially people who enjoyed The Mortal Instruments. You have the fantasy world mixed with the real world and all the mess that comes with it!
I love it so much, it’s a 
// 5 stars for me!
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If this book sounds interesting, check out A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow.
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If you liked this review, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
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?
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!
I really couldn’t figure out what to post for today, so I’m just going to do some ranting and give my unpopular book opinions! These opinions are solely my own and are not meant to hurt, insult, or offend anyone.
Okay – let’s go!
I’m gonna start off with something easy . . .
I have probably said this, like, a thousand times, but I really don’t like The Hunger Games. I tried to read it when I was younger and was absolutely bored to tears after almost 100 pages. Then I tried AGAIN a few years later at the request of one of my friends, and still couldn’t get past 100 pages. It was just boring and I didn’t like it. I know this is a huge favorite in YA, but I actually hate it. And no, I’ve never watched the movies either.
I am pretty active in the book community which means I do a lot of buying, selling, and trading and let me tell you, some people really over-value their ARCs. If you don’t know what an ARC is it stands for Advance Readers Copy, which is basically a bound manuscript sent to reviewers, book sellers, and librarians for early review. This helps boost sales before and after the book is published and generally helps the publisher.
But there is a whole thing, especially in YA and adult Fantasy/Science Fiction, where certain popular authors or certain books will be WAY over valued. People will only trade these books for other “unicorns”/rare books or really expensive items. Technically, trading is supposed to be a way for people to get receive ARCs for review from other people, but people turn it into a collecting nightmare.
On the topic of ARCs, here’s another opinion! ARCs are free books given for review and they are not meant to be sold. This brings into the ethical question of – if it can’t be sold, does trading it for an item that was purchased count as “buying” the ARC. AKA, if someone buys a book I want in exchange for me sending the ARC, does that mean they bought the ARC? In my opinion, yes.
Some people will ask for REALLY EXPENSIVE stuff for an ARC. I saw someone trading an ACOTAR by Sarah J Maas ARC asking for a copy of a book valued over $250. How is this any different from just selling it?
It’s not.
Before anyone comes for me, hear me out.
In the example of J.K. Rowling, some people may not have realized before how awful she is as a person. Once they found out, they feel pressured to denounce her and her work entirely which puts people in a dilemma. Do they continue to enjoy something that they have for years and risk being cancelled or shunned or do they denounce the work they have found a connection with and love, ultimately giving up a part of themselves?
I hate the idea that some people have to feel like they can’t love things because the author is awful. I agree that once it is known they’re awful, we shouldn’t continue to support them (ie. purchasing items, buying their books, movies, etc) but we can continue to enjoy the things we did before. If you love Harry Potter and reread the books or rewatch the movies you own every year, feel free to continue to do so. But don’t think I condone a continued support. Nor do I believe in overlooking a problematic author simply to enjoy their work. I.E. – If you are looking for a new book and found one you’re interested in, but the author is a known racist, don’t buy their book!
Why is this one even a debate? Books are books are books. If you listen to a book, you’re reading. If you’re using an e-reader, you’re reading. If you listen and read the book at the same time, you’re READING.
It’s so silly how people get pressed over HOW people are reading. I have friends who are blind or have very bad vision that require e-readers to enlarge texts because large print books are expensive. Or they listen to audiobooks. I also have friends who just simply enjoy listening to audiobooks or prefer e-readers over physical books. That doesn’t make them any less of a reader. And it doesn’t make people a “better” reader simply because they only read hardcover books!
I may have to make a part two to this post another time, because I don’t want to rant forever. But you get the point!
Every time I do these wrap up posts, I feel like I barely read anything, but then I compile it together and I shock myself. This month I read 11 books, which is about the same as last month, although two of them were graphic novels so they weren’t as time consuming as the other longer or more wordy novels. I have linked all reviews for these books in the title, so if you’d like to see my thoughts, feel free to click the link and check them out!
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
Genre: YA Fantasy
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rating: 3.5 // 5 stars
Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rating: 4 // 5 stars
North and South by Gene Luen Yang, etc
Genre: YA Fantasy (Graphic Novels)
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
Imbalance by Faith Erin Hicks, etc
Genre: YA Fantasy (Graphic Novels)
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
A Wicked Magic by Sasha Laurens
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rating: 4 // 5 stars
Splinters of Scarlet by Emily Bain Murphy
Genre: YA Historical Fantasy
Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars
The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
Ignite the Sun by Hanna Howard
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rating: 3.5 // 5 stars
Steel Tide by Natalie C. Parker
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rating: 4 // 5 stars
I’m hoping to have a good reading month for August, especially since I have to focus on a lot of ARCs I received through NetGalley. While I wasn’t intentionally trying to do the ARC August Readathon (hosted by Octavia and Shelly @ Read. Sleep. Repeat.) I basically have only ARCs on my TBR that I need to read and review, so I guess I’m participating!
If you want to see what my August TBR is, check out my TBR post here.
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Hey guys! Last week I announced the creation of Book Terminal Tours, the blog tour company run by Auburn, Shreya, and myself!
This time, I have another super fun announcement! We just announced a NEW tour that we are doing, which will be held in October. Sign ups for our email subscribers already went out, but general sign ups are currently open for anyone interested!
We are so excited to be doing a tour for Among The Beasts & Briars by Ashley Poston, which will run from October 20th – 24th, 2020!
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
Cerys is safe in the kingdom of Aloriya.
Here there are no droughts, disease, or famine, and peace is everlasting. It has been this way for hundreds of years, since the first king made a bargain with the Lady who ruled the forest that borders the kingdom. But as Aloriya prospered, the woods grew dark, cursed, and forbidden. Cerys knows this all too well: when she was young, she barely escaped as the woods killed her friends and her mother. Now Cerys carries a small bit of the curse—the magic—in her blood, a reminder of the day she lost everything. The most danger she faces now, as a gardener’s daughter, is the annoying fox who stalks the royal gardens and won’t leave her alone.
As a new queen is crowned, however, things long hidden in the woods descend on the kingdom itself. Cerys is forced on the run, her only companions the small fox from the garden, a strange and powerful bear, and the magic in her veins. It’s up to her to find the legendary Lady of the Wilds and beg for a way to save her home. But the road is darker and more dangerous than she knows, and as secrets from the past are uncovered amid the teeth and roots of the forest, it’s going to take everything she has just to survive.
This tour will be US only, as dictated by the publisher, so I’m sorry international friends! We are looking for bloggers only at this time who will receive a physical copy for review. We will have other review options available as well for creative posts like Dream Cast, Playlist, etc.
You can find our current tours listed here. Be sure to follow us on Twitter (@ToursTerminal) and Instagram (@Tours.Terminal) for upcoming tours, sign up information, and more!
Must have a valid US mailing address to apply. We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. We do not store personal data, any and all information give to us will be discarded after each tour. Mailing addresses will be collected after tour hosts have been chosen and sent only to the publisher and not stored for any reason. If you have any questions or concerns about this privacy notice, or our practices with regards to your personal information, please contact us at booktours@thebookterminal.com.
Today I am going to be reviewing Steel Tide by Natalie C. Parker, the second book in the Seafire trilogy. I received an ARC of this book back in June 2019 from the ALA (American Library Association) Convention and just never got around to reading it. Finally, after getting an eARC of Stormbreak, I knew I had to make time to read this book immediately!
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
The second book in a heart-stopping trilogy that follows the captain of an all-female ship intent on taking down a vicious warlord’s powerful fleet.
Caledonia may have lost her crew, but she’s not done fighting yet. After nearly dying at the hand of a powerful foe, Caledonia is pulled from the sea and nursed back to health by a crew of former Bullets that call themselves Blades. The Blades escaped Aric Athair’s clutches and now live a nomadic existence, ready to disappear at a moment’s notice should trouble come their way.
But Caledonia wants to do more than just hide. She wants to find the Mors Navis and her beloved sisters. She wants to continue fighting Aric’s fleet and to take back the Bullet seas. She’ll need to do everything in her power to convince the Blades that fighting is their only option, that there has to be a life better than the one under Aric Athair’s reign, and that finding the women of the Mors Navis is the first step to revolution.
It’s been awhile since I last read Seafire, probably two or so years now, so jumping into this book took me a minute to get reacquainted. But once I got myself situated and familiar with what happened, it was like I never left! This book picks up where Seafire left off as Caledonia is resting and recovering from her near deadly fight with Lir. She is nursed back to health by a group of Blades, ex-Bullets who have escaped Aric’s clutches.
Maybe this was just because I had to figure out what the heck was going on, but the beginning felt a bit slow to me. After Caledonia starts to recover, she’s living life with the Blades and I was just waiting for something to happen. I remembered the first book being filled with action and adventure and I was patiently waiting for it to start back up again.
It did.
Okay, so once the action started it was actually nuts! There was so much fighting, sneaking, danger, and sailing my brain didn’t know what to do. And as we make our way to the end of the book – dread filled me. I knew what was coming.
But I guess I didn’t, cause I was totally wrong and the ending was way better than I could have guessed! I would crack open Stormbreak right now if I didn’t have other books to read right now.
I really enjoyed the storyline and the challenges that Caledonia has to face. While revenge is always on her mind, she shifts her focus to helping the people around her too. I also appreciate the new cast of characters we get acquainted with – Pine being my favorite.
There was a certain thing that I wasn’t a fan of, but it was kind of minor in the scope of things. Overall, I really like this book, and the series in general, and can’t wait to read the final book in the series! This is a // 5 stars for me.
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If this book sounds interesting, check out A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow!
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If you liked this review, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
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!
If you don’t know what OTP stands for, it means One True Pairing – aka, couple goals! There are so many adorable couples in literature and they just continue to make me believe that love is real. At least, I hope.
So today, I wanted to talk about my favorite couples and my all time favorite OTPs! This is not ALL of them, but the ones I couldn’t leave off this list, so if you don’t see your favorite couple, I’m sorry!
***Warning – this post may contain spoilers!!! Read at your own risk! I also will be doing my best to track down the artist for all fan art featured in my post, but if I incorrectly name an artist, I would appreciate the correction. Thanks!
Is anyone surprised that I included Aelin and Rowan? I love their relationship and while it doesn’t start off well (Heir of Fire), as they grow together I fall in love with them as a couple. Aelin’s snark to Rowan’s cool exterior is a favorite of mine and it reminds me of my own relationship. Though that isn’t to say Rowan won’t stand up for Aelin and protect her when she needs it – if she needs it. They’re just so fun to read about and their love is so fierce.
The Lightning Thief was one of the first books I read that was a fantasy novel (and ultimately got me into reading) so I hold a special place in my heart for Percabeth. Their relationship, which grew from literally nothing, made me feel so happy as a kid! I read the entire series in middle school and haven’t had a chance to reread them since. I’ve heard their relationship develops more in the spin off series as well, so I may have to do a Lightening Thief reread and then read Heroes of Olympus. Either way – their relationship is so wholesome and wonderful and now I miss them!
Okay, if you thought I was going to mention Aelin and Rowan and NOT mention Feyre and Rhys – why? I love Sarah’s books and the relationship between Feyre and Rhys is literally so cute. Sure, he was really mean in the first book as an attempt to try and protect her, but he completely redeemed himself in ACOMAF and ACOWAR! He helped Feyre through her trauma and depression, allowed her to gain independence by teaching her to read and write, and allowed her to fall in love with him before letting her know they were mates. I mean – COME ON!!! Their relationship is so sweet and wild, I just love them.
The Infernal Devices is my favorite Shadowhunters series and oh man, did I root for Jessa. While I was happy that Tessa ended up with Will at the end, her relationship with Jem seemed more genuine and loving compared to Will. And (SPOILERS) – when she finally gets to be with him in the future books, it makes me so happy! The events that went on in the Infernal Devices trilogy still haunt me and in the end, I think she should have ended up with Jem.
Magnus and Alec were one of my first ships as a reader. I wanted them to be together so badly and when they finally confessed their feelings, and Alec was comfortable telling other people, I was so happy! They just have such a great dynamic and are the cutest couple! Every interaction between them, and with them, is so sweet and funny and just great. (SPOILERS) – when I found out they had kids together I was so happy for them! I knew they would be great parents and they seem so happy and UGH! My heart can’t take it, I just love their relationship.
When I first watched Avatar: The Last Airbender as a kid, I wasn’t a huge fan of Aang ending up with Katara. I wanted them to explore Katara’s relationship with Zuko and see how everything pans out. Now that I’m older, I’m all for Kataang! I love how their relationship is first based on friendship and they provide a good balance of personalities. Katara is caring, tough, sometimes hotheaded, and an overall good person which pairs nicely with Aangs calmness, rambunctiousness, and kindness. As we see in the comics, while a bit gross, they are a great couple together and genuinely love each other. It’s hard to find a match that not only brings out the best in you, but also compliments and helps your “weaknesses”. Overall, such a great couple and they’re kids are awesome too!
Honestly, I love the idea of Korra and Asami together, but I’m really upset we didn’t get a single moment of them until the END OF THE FREAKING SHOW. I wanted more screen time with their relationship and less of this back and forth with Mako. (though, don’t get me wrong, I adore Mako!) I think this couple was cheated out of great on screen moments and now, all I’m left with is fan art. But seriously though, I think Korra and Asami make an adorable couple and, like with Aang and Katara, really balance each other out well.
This was a slow burn romance that I could not handle. Spin the Dawn took my heart, threw it against the wall, patched it up, and then sliced it in half with this relationship. Edan’s love for Maia isn’t obvious at first, but once they start to get to know each other, I’m done for. Edan is so sweet, Maia is so caring, and together they make an adorable couple. I love their interactions before they finally cave in and express themselves – sarcastic relationships are great sometimes! And don’t get me started on Unravel the Dusk!
Alucard is a snarky, SOB sometimes, but he’s a total softy for Rhy! Every moment between them had me laughing or smiling like an idiot because, while not perfect, their relationship is just so endearing. Reading A Darker Shade of Magic, I just wanted the moments between Kell + Lila, and Rhy + Alucard. Nothing else. Just a total love fest between these characters! I love the moments between these two characters and it’s so obvious they’re in love with each other, it’s tormenting.
If you haven’t read We Hunt the Flame, you absolutely need to. Not only is the sequel releasing March 2021, but the enemies to lovers romance is SO GOOD! Technically, they’re not a couple, but I have a feeling they will be and I will ship them until my dying breath. Zafira is so sassy and strong, I love the power behind her character. And Nasir? He’s an ass, but I know he has a good heart. Every interaction with them you see their chemistry and I’m tired of waiting – THEY NEED TO BE TOGETHER NOW!
I’m so happy the final book, A Sky Beyond the Storm, releases in December because I have been waiting FIVE YEARS for these two to be together! And I swear, if they don’t end up together, I will actually cry. Sabaa likes to torture her readers by giving them a great romance for characters that are destined never to be together and it is so frustrating!! I just love these characters and I want them to be in a relationship so bad! I guess we’ll have to see if that happens.
So, I read Girls of Paper and Fire, but I haven’t read Girls of Storm and Shadow yet (I KNOW, I KNOW!) so I’m just going off of the first book for these. But still! I was rooting for these two the moment they met and I love their relationship. These two are in a horrible situation, but the fact they found comfort and love with each other made me so happy. I was nervous for them the entire time though! I can’t wait to read the next book and see what happens to them. I hope nothing bad . . .
Here are all of my couple goals! Some are not technically couples, but I think they should be. I’m sure my list will change through the years to add more people, but here are the ones I could narrow down right now.
What are some of your favorite OTPs?
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If you liked this post, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
I have a very optimistic TBR for August. Three of these books I need to read in order to read the sequels, which either come out in September. The other eight books are books that come out in August/September that I need to read. And these aren’t even all of the September releases. I left three end of September releases for later and I’ll just have to read and get through at the beginning of next month.
I don’t know if I’ve had a TBR of more than nine books before, so this should be interesting. The last three can always be read beginning of September if it comes down to that, but I want to try and get these read as soon as possible.
I ended up with a longer TBR for August due to one thing – the Penguin Teen Influencer program. I signed up and got in (yay!) but when I requested the books I wanted, I didn’t think I would get ALL of them. I requested three books for each month, August, September, and October. And in one afternoon received six of those nine books in my inbox. It was awesome yet terrifying.
See, I’m used to requesting more than normal because I’m usually declined for like 80-90% of them, so I didn’t expect to have six additional books fall into my lap. Plus I received Legendborn from the publisher and won Traitor in a giveaway. Ha ha, I’m freaking out.
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If you liked this post, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
I am so happy I read this book when I did. I was reading some not so great books recently and now my luck has turned around, this one included! I’ve heard such great things about this story and it did not disappoint for me.
Today, I will be reviewing The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller.
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
Alessandra is tired of being overlooked, but she has a plan to gain power:
1) Woo the Shadow King.
2) Marry him.
3) Kill him and take his kingdom for herself.
No one knows the extent of the freshly crowned Shadow King’s power. Some say he can command the shadows that swirl around him to do his bidding. Others say they speak to him, whispering the thoughts of his enemies. Regardless, Alessandra knows what she deserves, and she’s going to do everything within her power to get it.
But Alessandra’s not the only one trying to kill the king. As attempts on his life are made, she finds herself trying to keep him alive long enough for him to make her his queen—all while struggling not to lose her heart. After all, who better for a Shadow King than a cunning, villainous queen?
Wow okay where to start with this one? I guess let’s start with characters.
A+
I loved Alessandra as a character. She’s tough, but not cruel. She owns her body and her sexuality, but doesn’t shame other girls for having different opinions (ie. while she may be sexually active, she does not shame other girls for waiting until marriage). She’s pretty funny and she gets stuff done! She’s pretty impressive. Then Kallias. Ugh – King Kallias is too much for me sometimes. Not because he’s ignoring Alessandra or being rude – which he definitely is – but because he’s so tortured and he just needs a hug. But, you can’t touch him, so air hug? Then we have Alessandra’s friends who are all so funny. It’s a perfect set up.
So plot wise, I couldn’t find any faults that I thought needed to be changed or were bad. In fact, I really like how the plot went and the ending is spectacular. I gasped, I was happy, I was sad, shocked, disturbed, and in the end, satisfied. This story had so many ups and downs between Alessandra and Kallias and even between other characters! So much is going on.
I was cheering on Alessandra the whole time, even when her goals changed because she’s a fun character. I liked seeing how cunning and smart she was and the fact that Kallias appreciated that! They’re one of my favorite couples now.
SPOILER ALERT!!! I will be discussing spoilers below. I will mark once the spoiler talk has ended!
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Okay so first off I have a question, because I realize this may not have been answered in the book. During Kallias’ assassination attempt at the ball, the little girl tells Alessandra that it was the man who made a toast and the woman in black who told her to come. And that the woman in black was now wearing green tonight. Lady Zervas matched the description but she claims it wasn’t her – do we know who this woman was? Is it confirmed or denied that it was Lady Zervas? And if it wasn’t – who was it?
I don’t know if we ever got that answer and I’m kinda of sad. I wanna know who it was. I was hoping that it was one of Alessandra’s friends, like Hestia or Rhoda who were actually in on the whole thing. But that didn’t end up happening.
I think that’s my only complaint plot wise – we never confirm or deny who this woman is and why she’s important.
One other thing I do want to mention too was I wasn’t a fan of how Kallias reacted to Alessandra’s murder charge. He doesn’t worry that she will try to murder him? He pardons her immediately? I just don’t understand his reasoning besides wanting to keep the engagement and letting it slide?
I was kind of hoping for some dramatic thing where he gets upset and locks her up or throws her out. Or even her Father and her sister get her and take her home. But that didn’t happen and I wish it did. I feel like that would have been pretty intense too.
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Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I love the characters, the story, and certain scenes just made me fall in love with Kallias. I also really wanted to give him a hug, poor thing. All in all, this is a great fantasy standalone that I’ll probably be recommending for a while, so I think it’s obvious this is a // 5 stars for me!
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If this book sounds interesting, check out Tricia’s other series, Daughter of the Pirate King!
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If you liked this review, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
HOLY COW WHY HAS NO ONE SHOVED THIS BOOK IN MY HANDS BEFORE NOW!?
I won an ARC of Empire of Gold, which is book three of the Daevabad trilogy so obviously I have to read the other books. I have been wanting to read City of Brass for so long and just never got around to it and DANGIT I hate myself for waiting so long!!
So here is my review of The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty.
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
Nahri has never believed in magic. Certainly, she has power; on the streets of 18th century Cairo, she’s a con woman of unsurpassed talent. But she knows better than anyone that the trade she uses to get by—palm readings, zars, healings—are all tricks, sleights of hand, learned skills; a means to the delightful end of swindling Ottoman nobles.
But when Nahri accidentally summons an equally sly, darkly mysterious djinn warrior to her side during one of her cons, she’s forced to accept that the magical world she thought only existed in childhood stories is real. For the warrior tells her a new tale: across hot, windswept sands teeming with creatures of fire, and rivers where the mythical marid sleep; past ruins of once-magnificent human metropolises, and mountains where the circling hawks are not what they seem, lies Daevabad, the legendary city of brass, a city to which Nahri is irrevocably bound.
In that city, behind gilded brass walls laced with enchantments, behind the six gates of the six djinn tribes, old resentments are simmering. And when Nahri decides to enter this world, she learns that true power is fierce and brutal. That magic cannot shield her from the dangerous web of court politics. That even the cleverest of schemes can have deadly consequences.
After all, there is a reason they say be careful what you wish for…
First off, I love historical fiction fantasies. I love seeing how fantasy can fit into our past and shape the way we see history. We set our story in Cairo in the 1700’s and off the bat I was ready to go. I knew this was going to be insane and I was right!
The plot was so good. Like I’m speechless with how good the plot is and again, no one said anything? No one bothered to hit me on the head with the book and say, “read it!”?! I’m a bit disappointed. We have magic upon magic, a city filled with Daeva’s and djinn, a poor girl mixed in the middle of a mess she knows nothing about. And don’t forget the protective warrior with her.
The characters were perfection. Nahri is the kind of girl who can take care of herself until she’s thrown into this new world and has to rely on her warrior hero Dara to take care of her. Ali is like a german shepherd: tough, follows the rules, and yet is still a big softy underneath. And Dara? Well, he’s a psycho warrior, kind of like a pitbull, where he’s sweet unless you mess with him. Then he’ll mess you up. And there’s so many other fantastic characters in this story with completely different personalities. It’s great.
I found myself getting heavily invested into this story. The world building was intricate but not overwhelming and the writing made the magic come to life. By the time I finished this book I wanted to start Kingdom of Copper immediately, but I can’t and it’s killing me.
City of Brass has become one of those fantasies that I can’t stop thinking about and at this point, I’m becoming obsessive. Soon I’m gonna be hunting down fan art and bookish items for this series and all my money is gonna fly away. We’re entering the level of Throne of Glass obsession right here, so be warned.
I’m going to dive into some spoilers, so if you don’t want to be spoiled, skip down to the end!
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Okay so the ending. WHY!? First off, love the whole scene with Ali under the lake. Hearing the marid talk to him as he’s being eaten alive by this magical lake was intense and it didn’t help with the battle going on overhead. The battle on the ship was heartbreaking, especially Muntadir crying over Jamshid. And then when Ali literally rose from the dead to “kill” Dara – I WAS SCREAMING.
One thing I noticed and want to discuss is the relationship between Muntadhir and Jamshid. First off, they’re totally together and in love and I feel like Muntadhir is hiding his relationship because he knows he has to marry and have children. But then again, I’m not sure if this book discusses the Daeva’s feelings towards homosexuality and if it’s something they approve, disapprove, or are neutral on? I can’t remember. I just want everyone to be happy and if that means shipping Muntadhir and Jamshid, I’m all for it.
But as of right now, we have Muntadhir and Nahri betrothed and I’m so upset!! I don’t know what exactly happened to Dara yet and I really just want him to come back. Everything is just going to shit with them right now and it makes me so sad. I want Dara and Nahri to be able to be together even though I have a feeling that is not going to happen, at least not easily.
Plus now Ali has been banished!? What the heck!? I’m getting really invested into this world and it’s taking over all my thoughts now! I just want to know what happens next!!
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Overall, I loved this story. It mixes all my favorite genres into this one epic book that I can’t stop thinking about. I’m still recovering form the ending and I’m desperate to know what’s next. This is a strong // 5 stars for me!
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If this book sounds interesting to you, check out The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang!
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If you liked this review, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
I decided to do another tag today because why not? I don’t want to clutter my feed too much with reviews so we’re doing the Stuck at Home Book Tag! I might be a bit late with this one, but whatever. We’re all just trying to have fun.
The Rules
No one nominated me for this tag but I will nominate Alexa @ Writing the Universe to do this tag!
What haven’t I been meaning to read for forever? My TBR is so long I could probably just talk about those and never end. But honestly, I would have to say Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare. I got preoccupied with other books when it came out and just never got around to reading it. I know once I do though I’m not going to be able to put it back down, so maybe I’ll hold off until the next book in the series is out . . .
Nevernight by Jay Kristoff. I want to read this book so bad but I don’t know how I’m going to feel once I start. I’ve heard mixed reviews and have been told this is a series you have to reread because the footnotes are really distracting at first. I’m also worried if I don’t like it what will happen. Some people are very possessive over this series and I’m not trying to get virtually assaulted for not liking this book! (just kidding)
Honestly, 2 is on there because I kept pushing off reading this book and it’s releasing in August, so I really need to read it! And 3 is because I’ve been dying to read this book and kept pushing it off due to other books releasing sooner. I will get to all of these books soon, especially Ignite the Sun because I am not holding off on that book anymore.
I have a lot of recommendations, but I’ll stick with fantasy, thriller and prose for now.
For fantasy, The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller. It’s just over 300 pages and it’s a standalone, so you get a quick read that is SO GOOD! I feel like this is going to become on of my go to recommendations now.
For thriller, We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. This book doesn’t even hit 250 pages and it is a rollercoaster ride of emotions. There’s not much I can say about this besides – it’s really good, you should definitely read it!
For prose, Blood Moon by Lucy Cuthew. It’s a contemporary novel written in prose that I read in one sitting. If you don’t know what prose is, it’s similar to poetry but with more of a storytelling aspect to it. So instead of the whole Roses are Red rhyming scheme, it’s more like Shakespeare. And this book is so good! I really like the set up of the book and how it flows. And, it has a really important story for young women.
Again, it’s so hard to recommend just one, so I’ll do a fantasy, contemporary, and maybe throw in a thriller!
For fantasy, I have to go with The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon. It’s a standalone fantasy novel that is 858 pages long. Some people have said they’re intimated by the book, and I was too at first, but it’s actually not that bad! There’s dragons, war, sapphic romance, and lots of crazy magic in this world.
For contemporary, I would say The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. I’ve noticed most contemporaries aren’t longer then 400 pages, but THUG is almost 450 pages. It’s the longest contemporary I’ve read at least and it has an important message.
Finally, for thriller, I would recommend The Diviners by Libba Bray. This one is a mixed genre book because its a fantasy thriller, but the main plot point is the murders, so I’m going with this one! This is the first book in a series and has 578 pages filled with magic, mayhem, and murder. It’s so good.
I’m starting Ignite the Sun once I finish the current book I’m reading and then I’ll probably read Kingdom of Copper as well. I also really want to read Steel Tide by Natalie C. Parker because I have the Stormbreak sitting on my kindle and I really want to read that before release. So that’s another TBR book I need to read.
If you decide to do this tag, feel free to tag me so I can see your responses!
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I finally finished the last few collections and wow, I have thoughts!
*Warning, this may contain spoilers for Legend of Korra, so if you haven’t watched the show, be warned!
Smoke and Shadow synopsis from Goodreads:
The Fire Nation is threatened by a prophecy told by the Kemurikage–mysterious figures thought only to exist in legend: “remove Zuko from the throne or the country will perish!” Unrest is brewing as the New Ozai Society prepares to make its move against the crown, and children begin to go missing from their homes under mysterious circumstances! Avatar Aang and his friends are doing everything in their power to save them–but will it be enough?!
North and South synopsis from Goodreads:
When Katara and Sokka return home to the Southern Water Tribe, they are shocked to find that it has gone from a small village to a bustling city! Malina, a Northerner, is behind the change and plans to unify the two groups, but Gilak, a Southerner, leads a fierce rebellion to stop her. In the face of these two opposing tribes, Katara will have to make peace with her nostalgia and distrust to save the home she loves from being permanently torn apart.
Imbalance synopsis from Goodreads:
When Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph return to Earthen Fire Industries–the factory owned by Toph’s father–Aang is surprised when their arrival is met with a cold shoulder. As soon as the team is asked for help at a business council meeting, the reason for the slight becomes clear: a massive bender-versus-non-bender conflict has gripped the town and is threatening to turn violent. In order to heal the divide and save the town, Aang and the team will all face tough decisions about power and identity that could tear them apart.
Okay so – gold. This whole series is just pure gold. I feel like this review is going to be very short and very repetitive because I only have nice things to say about the show and the comics honestly! But I’ll do my best to get some kind of review out of this.
Book 4, Smoke and Shadow, Aang is in the fire nation as Sokka and Katara move on to the Southern Water Nation to visit their family. I’ll start off by saying I loved the way the Kemurikage are drawn in this book. It really amplifies the spookiness of what is going on as they are kidnapping children and taking them hostage. We get more time with Zuko and other friends like Mai, Ty Lee, and others. Without spoiling, we also get to see another character that’s been missing for a bit. While not ideal it is nice to see the gang back together, even if said gang is fighting.
Book 5, North and South, I think is on the same timeline as Smoke and Shadow, just showing what Katara and Sokka have been up to. If you haven’t watched Korra, I would definitely be warned cause there’s some spoilers coming. I loved how this book sets up the conflict between the Northern and Southern Water Tribes. As we see in Korra, the water tribe is now a large city instead of the small town that Katara and Sokka left. And it kind of foreshadows the sibling rivalry we experience in Legend of Korra book 2 which I thought was smart. Overall, I really enjoyed getting to see the water tribe and Hakoda again!
Book 6, Imbalance, is the final book in the comic series for Team Avatar and I loved so many aspects of this book. Warning, another Korra spoiler! I loved how the set up the situation of a town with benders and nonbenders, and the benders are from different nations which would ultimately lead to Republic City. Plus getting to see the little island Aang creates as Air Temple Island where I assume he and Katara raised their children. It was just heart warming and made me a little sad even. I also thought it was interesting that they had the bender vs. nonbender conflict. We see how years of “superiority” have lead to benders feeling like they are better than others and creates this overall conflict. I’m sure this scenario relates to many other issues going on in our world today even and I appreciate how this is discussed.
Overall, I thought this was a great end to the comics. I legit cried at the end of it because I know what comes later for Team Avatar and how their lives ultimately turn out. It was bittersweet getting a continuation on this series and I’m addicted! Now I just need to read the Korra comics and the Kyoshi books!
Obviously these books are // 5 stars for me. Team Avatar for life!
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This was another book that I was supposed to review for Fantastic Flying Book Club as a part of their blog tour before I ended contact with them. Obviously, I’m going to post my review of this book, just not in relation to FFBC.
Today I will be reviewing Splinters of Scarlet by Emily Bain Murphy. I was provided an electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review by HMH.
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
A YA historical fantasy set in nineteenth-century Denmark, where secrets can kill and magic is a deadly gift.
For Marit Olsen, magic is all about strategy: it flows freely through her blood, but every use leaves behind a deadly, ice-like build-up within her veins called the Firn. Marit knows how dangerous it is to let too much Firn build up—after all, it killed her sister—and she has vowed never to use her thread magic. But when Eve, a fellow orphan whom Marit views like a little sister, is adopted by the wealthy Helene Vestergaard, Marit will do anything to stay by Eve’s side. She decides to risk the Firn and uses magic to secure a job as a seamstress in the Vestergaard household.
But Marit has a second, hidden agenda: her father died while working in the Vestergaards’ jewel mines—and it might not have been an accident. The closer Marit gets to the truth about the Vestergaard family, the more she realizes she and everyone she’s come to love are in danger. When she finds herself in the middle of a treacherous deception that goes all the way up to the king of Denmark, magic may be the only thing that can save her—if it doesn’t kill her first.
From the start, this book had my full attention. There wasn’t a moment where I wasn’t enthralled with what was going on. We have a historical fantasy, set in Denmark, and a mystery all packed into one? I was smitten.
I loved the alternating POV’s in this book. We get to see the story through Marit and Philip’s eyes with Philip going between the past and the present. I thought it added extra mystery to the story instead of just seeing the world through Marit’s eyes. I kind of wish we got to see the world through Eve’s eyes as well, but I have a feeling it wouldn’t add that much to the story.
Plot wise I loved this book. We are shot forward from the very beginning as we follow Eve and Marit from the orphanage to the Vestergaard home and meet all the new people in their lives. As Marit tries to uncover what happened to her father, please Mrs. Vestergaard, and prevent the Firn from killing her, this story gets intense. The last 25% I was absorbed as we find out what exactly is going on.
Another aspect I love about this story was Marit and Eve’s relationship. Sister’s by choice stories just make me so happy and the love these two girls have for each other is endearing. It melted my heart every time they interacted with each other, especially with how Marit treats Eve. As the oldest of three girls, I know the feelings Marit has towards Eve, even if she doesn’t go through moments of rage like any normal sisters might. The love and protectiveness she has towards Eve hits home, even if they are much kinder to each other than me and my sisters are.
There wasn’t much I disliked about the story except I wish we got more background on some of the other people in the house. Liljan and Jakob become friends with Marit quickly, but we don’t really get to learn about them as much as Marit or Eve. I wanted a bit more time to get to know some of these other characters before we’re thrown into action.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I adored this story. I was so sad to finish because I didn’t want it to end. I have to give this a .5 // 5 stars.
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If this story sounds interesting, check out Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers.
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If you liked this review, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
My reading has lagged since starting a blog tour company so I’m doing something a little different today. Here’s what I’m currently reading and watching!
Right now I’m currently reading –
I’m about 50% through The City of Brass right now and since I finished A Wicked Magic and Splinters of Scarlet, I’m going to start two new books. Ignite the Sun is another NetGalley read I need to get off my list and The Shadows Between Us is a fun, short read I’ve been wanting to get through for a while.
My boyfriend and I are currently on season 3 of Legend of Korra. This is a rewatch for me, but it’s his first time watching the show. So far he really likes it and I’m just happy to have someone who understands my obsession with this show!
I’ve been on a nostalgia kick recently so I’ve been rewatching old shows I loved as a kid/teen. Currently, I’m on season 1 of Zoey101 and on season 4 of Hannah Montana. It feels so weird to rewatch these shows and have the memories of their premiere or sitting down in my parent’s home to watch with my little sisters. Makes me miss my childhood a little bit.
I’m debating if I want to start watching Cursed. I’ve been hearing some controversial things about the book and the show. Part of me wants to watch to know why, the other part wants to avoid it at all costs. If anyone has started watching the show or read the book, let me know if I should give this a try or not.
I had some serious nostalgia hit me today as I was looking through old books I had read back in middle school. It’s been so long since I had read some of these, so I wanted to create a tag that would make everyone feel nostalgic. So – here is the Nostalgia Book Tag!
I had to read a lot in elementary school for school, so technically this isn’t the first book I’ve ever read, but it’s the first one I picked out to read outside of school. The first series I ever read on my own was The Percy Jackson series. My fifth grade teacher read The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan to us and I was hooked. I read the first book on my own that summer and read every book that came after it and I was hooked. I’ve had a book in my hand ever since.
I read a lot in middle school, so there was a lot of books I deemed my favorite. The three series I remember adoring in middle school was The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, and Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. I could not get enough of those books and would reread them all the time.
There’s several books that I’ve read that none of my friends, or anyone I talk to, know about so I’ll list them:
Shadowland by Meg Cabot
Cirque du Freak series by Darren Shan
Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schreiber
The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod by Heather Brewer
These are the few I could think of off the top of my head, but I loved these series in middle school and I really want to reread them now!
Worst book I’ve read, that wasn’t for school, would probably have to be the first book I ever DNFed (did not finished), which was The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I read 5 chapters in middle school and hated it. Tried reading it again in high school and just couldn’t do it. It was just so bad I couldn’t get through it.
I loved so many authors but I’d have to say that I loved Meg Cabot a lot when I was younger. I could pick up any of her books and instantly fall in love, no matter the genre.
I don’t know that I necessarily hated anyone, but I definitely was very mad at Stephanie Meyer and Cassandra Clare as I read their books!
I was hesitant to read Harry Potter when I was younger. Back in elementary school a lot of my friends had read them and loved them, but I wasn’t a stronger reader then and the books were very big. I didn’t want to embarrass myself trying to read them, so I said I never would. I refused to read them for a while, and then in 7th grade, I cracked. Finally read them and got on the HP bandwagon until JK went full bigot and I quickly hoped off.
Twilight. Need I say more?
Every year my family would go to Florida for Thanksgiving to see my grandmother and we would go to the local bookstore and get new books for me to read. I would spend the whole vacation reading by the pool, at my grandma’s house, in the hotel – anywhere and everywhere. In the week we would be there I could get through a book a day with how much I read. I kind of miss it.
The Lightening Thief kickstarted my love for reading and The Mortal Instruments helped propel it forward. Those two books will forever be books that I can go back to and love again and again.
This is a fun announcement I get to make and I’m so excited to be able to share this! As you may, or may not know, Auburn @ What She Will Read, has created a new website for book lovers called The Book Terminal. If you haven’t check it out, you totally should! You can link your blog and other media, join a database to find other bloggers, be featured on the website, trade/buy books, and now – you can participate in blog tours!
Auburn created a section called Book Terminal Tours and a blog tour company! And I’m one of the co-owners/co-hosts for it!
Yes, you heard that right. Auburn and I created a blog tour company! And we just brought on Shreya @ The Baroness of Books to help run it! We are so excited to be working together on this and can’t wait to hopefully work with you all in the future!
If you are a blogger who is interested in participating in any of our tours, please sign up for our newsletter here to get first access! You will be the first to know and sign up for any tours so be sure to sign up soon!
For authors, publishers, publicists we are accepting requests and have different types of tours we can host for you. I will link the page with different tours that we offer here. And if you would like to request a tour, you can do so here. Our tours are currently completely free so you will only have to provide the physical or electronic books and any other promotional material you need.
We are currently running a tour for Jaybird by M.A. Foster and sign ups close TOMORROW! I will include the description of the book below. If you would like to participate in this tour, be sure to sign up here!
Jaybird was just a nickname my father gave me when I was born.
But after he died, the name took on a life of it’s own.
Jayla King has the world at her fingertips.
A loving family.
Two amazing best friends.
A promising music career.
And the heart of the only boy she’s ever loved. Zach.
But then everything changes.
When news hits the streets that famous rock star and celebrity judge, Marcus King, has suddenly died,
the spotlight shifts to his daughter.
His Jaybird.
*Not recommended for readers under the age of 18 due to language, sexual situations, and mild violence.
Jaybird is a standalone in a series
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!
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I received an exclusive advance copy of Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco from Fairyloot and I loved it! My review is not in affiliation with Fairyloot and I paid for the box the book came in.
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
When a hidden prince, a girl with secrets, a ragtag group of unlikely heroes, and a legendary firebird come together…something wicked is going down.
Many years ago, the magical Kingdom of Avalon was left encased in ice when the Snow Queen waged war. Its former citizens are now refugees in a world mostly devoid of magic. Which is why the crown prince and his protectors are stuck in…Arizona.
Prince Alexei, the sole survivor of the Avalon royal family, is hiding in a town so boring, magic doesn’t even work there. Few know his secret identity, but his friend Tala is one of them.
A new hope for their abandoned homeland reignites when a famous creature of legend, the Firebird, appears for the first time in decades. Alex and Tala must unite with a ragtag group of new friends to journey back to Avalon for a showdown that will change the world as they know it.
I was worried, going into this book, that I wasn’t going to like it because a friend of mine didn’t like it and DNFed it really early. But once I started reading it I was immediately sucked in! There is a lot of American history and politics at the start (because this world is set in an alternate universe from ours), but it quickly moves along quickly.
The plot is immaculate. I mean such good plotting and storytelling goes on in this book. Even with all the crazy politics that have to be followed, and there are some crazy politics in this world, it’s so captivating. Especially once we meet the Snow Queen’s minions.
With a diverse cast of characters we’re off to save the world and the kingdom of Avalon from the evil Snow Queen. One thing I really like about this world is that it’s not only a magical version of ours, but incorporates actual fairytales into the history. Snow White, Sleeping Beaty, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Robin Hood, King Arthur, any and all fairytales you can think of are real people in this world, just not all at the same time.
Our rag tag team is so much fun too and each personality adds another layer to our group’s overall personality, and makes the team that much more interesting. I love a lot of the jokes between these new friends and I kinda miss them. Each has their own weapon and their own skill to help Prince Alex, or just Alex, as well as their own distinct trait/thing that they add and feed off of each other.
Because this is a political fantasy, if you don’t want to read about American politics then I would avoid this title. But, I would recommend looking past the few pages of political history for this epic fantasy if it really bothers you. I personally loved the history and the discussion of America’s current political climate and thought it helped me connect with the story and the characters better.
Overall, this book is really good! I can’t wait to read the next one, especially after that ending! This was a solid .5 // 5 stars!
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If this book sounds interesting, check out An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir or Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton.
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If you liked this review, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
I feel myself slowing down this month. I can’t seem to finish books as quickly as I usually would and I’m stressed. Especially since I have to read two books by next week for a blog tour. After that though, I can read what I want – so hopefully once the stress is gone I can read what I feel like and get back into the swing of things . . . hopefully.
Reviews for these should be up or coming up soon, but I liked all of them so far! Especially Crave by Tracy Wolff and Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco. I’m on such a fantasy kick right now I can’t seem to branch off!
I’m about 25% into A Wicked Magic by Sasha Laurens and just starting The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty and Spinters of Scarlet by Emily Bain Murphy. I’m doing a tour for Splinters of Scarlet and was supposed to do a tour for A Wicked Magic, but that fell through. Nonetheless, I’m obviously still going to review A Wicked Magic on the day I said I would, which will be Monday! I hope to finish these two soon, so fingers crossed I can get my two review books done in time!
Some of these are a mix of review books, like Ignite the Sun by Hanna C. Howard, Hush by Dylan Farrow, and To Sleep In A Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini – while the others are just for fun! I’m trying to mix it up during the month so I get a good balance of requested/required reads and for fun reads each month. Not to say that I don’t want to read my review books (I wouldn’t have asked for them if I didn’t), I just like to add some other books that are more flexible. So if I end up not in the mood or mindset to read them, I can push them aside guilt free!
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If you liked this post, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
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!
This review is going to be for the Avatar: The Last Airbender comic book collections. I thought about writing reviews for each, but honestly – that’s too much, even for me. So here is my overall review of the first three comics!
These comics take place immediately after the end of the show, Avatar: The Last Airbender.
The comics, in order, are:
Today I will be reviewing Avatar: The Promise, The Search, and The Rift!
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads for The Promise:
The Avatar’s adventures continue right where the TV series left off, in this beautiful, oversized hardcover of The Promise, from Airbender creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko! Aang and friends must join together once again as the four nations’ tenuous peace is threatened in an impasse between Fire Lord Zuko and Earth King Kuei! As the world heads toward another devastating war, Aang’s friendship with Zuko throws him into the middle of the conflict! Featuring annotations by Eisner Award-winning writer Gene Luen Yang (American Born Chinese) and artist Gurihiru (Thor and the Warriors Four), and a brand-new sketchbook, this is a story that Avatar fans need in an edition they will love!
And the synopsis from Goodreads for The Search:
The biggest mystery of Avatar, the fate of Fire Lord Zuko’s mother, is revealed in this remarkable oversized hardcover collecting parts 1–3 of The Search, from Airbender creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko!
Featuring annotations by Eisner Award–winning writer Gene Luen Yang (American Born Chinese) and artistic team Gurihiru (Thor and the Warriors Four), and a brand-new sketchbook, this is a story that Avatar fans need in an edition they will love!
And finally, the synopsis from Goodreads for The Rift:
Avatar Aang and friends honor an Air Nomad holiday that hasn’t been celebrated in over one hundred years, but when cryptic visits from the spirit of Avatar Yangchen lead Aang to a refinery operating on land sacred to the Airbenders–they soon find themselves in peril as a dangerously powerful ancient spirit awakens with vengeance and destruction on its mind!
This collection of The Rift Parts 1-3 features annotations by Eisner Award-winning writer Gene Luen Yang (American Born Chinese) and artists Gurihiru (Thor and the Warriors Four), with a brand-new sketchbook section!
After my rewatch of Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix, I had to read the comics. I had been wanting to read them for years and it made sense to read them now that the show was fresh in my mind. Since these comics pick up right where the show left off, it really was like another season, just printed instead of animated.
Since I had watched Korra several years ago, I knew that Aang and Katara end up together, but seeing their fresh relationship in the comics is really cute! And Toph and Sokka’s reactions to it make it that much cuter.
For The Promise, we get to see Zuko as the new Fire Lord and what happens to the Fire Nation after Ozai is overthrown. I really liked the story line and the overall changes that happen in this world. How separate nations can not only live together, but become integrated into their own world – kind of like how our world is now. You can have people from different nations living in different areas of the world and people aren’t restricted to loving people solely from their group.
For The Search, I was just happy to find out what happened to Zuko’s mom! We never got resolution from the show and to finally know what happened to her is so nice. Plus all the stuff that comes afterwards. I thought her story was not only really cool, but also really sad. We get a lot of backstory into Zuko’s relationship with his mom, her relationship to Ozai, and how this all affects Azula as well.
For The Rift, we get some closure for Toph. We know from Legend of Korra that Toph teaches other people how to metal bend and in this story, we see her first students at her new school. And we also find out about some history with the last airbender Avatar along with some other cool things in the spirit world! The thing I love the most was this one scene with Toph, which I will not spoil, because it just gives everyone some much needed closure and it’s really sweet!
Overall – I’m a huge Avatar nerd. I love the show, I love the comics, and I love the spin offs! After I finish the rest of these comics I am definitely reading the Korra comics and the Kyoshi comics too! I just need more Avatar in my life overall. I don’t even have to rate these because it’s very clear that these are all a // 5 stars for me!
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I haven’t read many comics in my life, so I’m just gonna suggest you watch Avatar: The Last Airbender and Legen of Korra because they’re great shows. Also, read the comics!!!
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If you liked this review, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
I am so excited to be a part of the Mayhem blog tour through Wednesday Books! I was lucky enough to win a copy of Mayhem by Estelle Laure through the Wednesday Books giveaway, Nostalgia Hour, a couple months ago and when I saw the opportunity to jump on this blog tour, I had to take it!
Here is the synopsis through Goodreads:
A YA feminist mash up inspired by The Lost Boys and The Craft.
It’s 1987 and unfortunately it’s not all Madonna and cherry lip balm. Mayhem Brayburn has always known there was something off about her and her mother, Roxy. Maybe it has to do with Roxy’s constant physical pain, or maybe with Mayhem’s own irresistible pull to water. Either way, she knows they aren’t like everyone else. But when May’s stepfather finally goes too far, Roxy and Mayhem flee to Santa Maria, California, the coastal beach town that holds the answers to all of Mayhem’s questions about who her mother is, her estranged family, and the mysteries of her own self. There she meets the kids who live with her aunt, and it opens the door to the magic that runs through the female lineage in her family, the very magic Mayhem is next in line to inherit and which will change her life for good. But when she gets wrapped up in the search for the man who has been kidnapping girls from the beach, her life takes another dangerous turn and she is forced to face the price of vigilante justice and to ask herself whether revenge is worth the cost.
From the acclaimed author of This Raging Light and But Then I Came Back, Estelle Laure offers a riveting and complex story with magical elements about a a family of women contending with what appears to be an irreversible destiny, taking control and saying when enough is enough.
When I read the synopsis I knew I had to read this book. Feminist mash up? Inspired by The Craft? Sign me up! I was so excited to read this book, until I start reading it. This was a really intense book that I honestly didn’t expect and I have a lot of thoughts on it.
One thing I wish I knew going into this book was that the beginning (and some of the tones in general) are pretty heavy. In the final draft there will be a note from the author discussing some of the more serious topics in this novel, but I didn’t get a letter or a warning for the ARC. There is a lot of heaviness to this book, including rape, suicide, assault, murder, and drug abuse. I didn’t realize how intense this book was until I started reading, but Laure does a great job in discussing these issues and not just using them as a shock factor or background. While I would have liked to know those topics would be discussed, I think the author did a good job in discussing them.
I will include Laure’s note, which will be printed in final copies, below in the Author Information section.
The beginning was a bit “slow” in a way as we’re introduced to Mayhem and Roxy, as well as their past. We learn about why Roxy left Santa Maria and why they’re returning home after all these years. I like how Laure mixes in the past with the present to give one cohesive story. Though, I found that the plot of the book didn’t start until more than halfway through.
I wanted more of The Craft, feeling wise, and I didn’t get it. The majority of the book felt like a contemporary novel as Mayhem deals with her and her mother’s past once they return to Santa Maria. The fear of Mayhem’s step-father coming after them, relearning how to feel safe, dealing with her mother’s addiction – it’s a lot for a teen. And honestly, if that was the whole book, I would have been satisfied. The focus on Mayhem and her mother’s relationship, and working through their trauma, would have been a beautiful book.
But once the magic is added in, about 50% through, it changes the feel of the story. I liked the magic, though I didn’t understand it fully. My only complaint is that since the magic and this new storyline comes in late, I wish we had more time with it.
The main climatic event is fast and it left me unsatisfied. I wanted more to solving the mystery, more to the magic, and more in general.
Overall, I like the story and I loved watching Mayhem and Roxy reconnect. I thought the murder mystery was a cool aspect, though it wasn’t really touched on much. And the magic had so much potential, but it just felt underdeveloped unfortunately. Though I do love Laure’s writing and the Mayhem’s overall journey.
In the end, I would give this book a .5 // 5 stars.
Author Bio:
Estelle Laure is a Vonnegut worshipper who believes in love and magic and the power of facing hard truths. She has a BA in Theater Arts from New Mexico State University and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and thinks everyone should have to wait tables or work in a kitchen at least once in their lives. She lives in Taos, New Mexico with her children.
Author Note:
Dear Reader,
Like Mayhem, I experienced a period of time when my life was extremely unstable. I can still remember what it was like to be shaken so hard I thought my head would come off, to watch the room vibrate, to feel unsafe in my own home, to never know what was coming around the next corner. I wanted to run. I always wanted to run.
I ran to friends, but also movies and books, and although girls were more passively portrayed in movies like The Lost Boys back then, that feeling of teenagers prowling the night, taking out bad people, being unbeatable . . . that got me through it.
I guess that’s what I tried to do here. I wanted girls who feel powerless to be able to imagine themselves invincible. And yes, I used a rape as the seed for that fierce lineage, not without thought. For me, there is nothing worse, and I like to think great power can rise up as a result of a devastating trespass.
Please know I took none of this lightly. Writing this now, my heart is beating hard and my throat is dry. This is the first time I not only really looked at my own past, the pain of loss, the pain of the loss of trust that comes when someone puts hands on you without permission, the pain of people dying, the shock of suicide, and put all of it to paper in a way that made me feel victorious, strong, and warrior-like. It is also terrifying. I know I’m not the only one who had a scary childhood, and
I know I’m not the only one who clings to stories as salve to smooth over burnt skin. I am so sick of girls and women being hurt. This was my way of taking my own vengeance and trying to access forgiveness.
Thank you for reading and for those of you who can relate, I see you and you are not alone.
Estelle Laure
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I have wanted to read Crave by Tracy Wolff since way before it came out. Alexa (Writing the Universe) won an ARC box for this book and absolutely loved this book! She talked so highly about it I wanted to read it ASAP.
Well, you know, life happens! I didn’t get a chance to read it when it came out, but finally, FINALLY, I read this book and OMG I LOVED IT.
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
My whole world changed when I stepped inside the academy. Nothing is right about this place or the other students in it. Here I am, a mere mortal among gods…or monsters. I still can’t decide which of these warring factions I belong to, if I belong at all. I only know the one thing that unites them is their hatred of me.
Then there’s Jaxon Vega. A vampire with deadly secrets who hasn’t felt anything for a hundred years. But there’s something about him that calls to me, something broken in him that somehow fits with what’s broken in me.
Which could spell death for us all.
Because Jaxon walled himself off for a reason. And now someone wants to wake a sleeping monster, and I’m wondering if I was brought here intentionally—as the bait.
I will admit, I was a die hard Twilight fan back in middle school. It was the book that kicked off my obsession with vampires. After Twilight I read Vampire Academy, Cirque du Freak series, Marked series, Vampire Kisses series, Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series, Night World series, Vampire Diaries series – literally anything vampire related, I read it.
So when I picked up this book my inner middle schooler was SCREAMING. I mean I was thrown back in time and feeling all the same feelings as a kid. Especially the way Grace describes Jaxon and her surroundings. It’s very reminiscent of the Twihard era. Then we have Jaxon Vega. Our main love interest who’s mysterious, sassy, and all together swoony who can’t help himself when he’s around Grace. UGH, the teenage hormones in this book were WILD.
I loved the addition of other magical creatures though. This world doesn’t just have vampires – we have dragons, witches, and werewolves together bringing us a magical story that I could not put down. And those are just the creatures we know about. I can only imagine there might be more magic just around the corner and honestly, I need to read Crush like NOW.
Wolff does make fun of the vampire tropes, like instant love and insatiable attraction, and it’s hilarious. I loved the humor throughout this book and I think that’s what made it so much fun to read. I wanted more with every page and those chapter titles: gold.
The beginning is a bit slow and the revelation Grace has comes in pretty far into the book. While I like how it was revealed, part of me wanted it sooner so we could jump into all the magic!
I wasn’t sure what I was going to rate this book, but after the ending, it’s a definite // 5 stars from me! I can’t wait to get sucked into Crush when it releases on September 29th, 2020!!!
Plus, check out this gorgeous cover!
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If this book sounds interesting, check out the books I read/recommend up above! They’ll satiate all your vampire needs!
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If you liked this review, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
I’ve been feeling myself fall into a slump. I’m having a hard time reading books, writing posts, and doing anything other than sleep. It’s not good.
So when Alexa came through with some blog post ideas I was almost jumping for joy. We love supportive friends! I saw this post she had done on her blog and it looks like fun, so today we’re doing Bookish This or That!
I’m assuming this means physical books but it’s a weird way to put it. Personally, I’ve only listened to one audiobook on a road trip and didn’t even get past disk one. I have nothing against audiobooks, but they are expensive, so I’ve never really given them a fair chance. So, physical books.
Hardcover. All the way. It’s so satisfying opening it up and not seeing the spine crack. I find they’re easier to read than paperbacks and pulling off the sleeve to a clean cover, beautiful. Also I just find them more visually satisfying on my shelf than paperbacks.
Fiction. Hands down. I’ve never been a fan of reading non-fiction, though I love a good documentary or research film. Reading it is harder for me, I don’t find myself as engaged. And fiction is nice to learn or disengage from reality, you can go either way.
Neither. I liked Harry Potter and Twilight when I was younger, but both authors are trash, so I can safely say neither series.
Bookstore. When I find myself unsure if I want to get a book, I usually read the first chapter or two. It’s much harder to do that when ordering a book online. The only time I order online is if it’s an author I love or it’s after I’ve read the ARC and I want to support the author. Also, new book smell. It’s so satisfying!
I prefer series, but I won’t run away from a standalone. If I read a thriller, mystery, or contemporary I prefer standalone. Fantasy I’ll always prefer a trilogy.
Usually, I like long and heavy books but it’s good to switch things up and go for the sweet and short. It really depends on how much time I have and my mood.
Coffee!!! Hot chocolate is nice once in a while, but I could drink coffee every day, multiple times a day, and still love it. Hot chocolate will just give me a sugar rush and leave me more jittery than coffee. Also, coffee has a multitude of preparations, flavors, and stuff you can do with it. I’m a total coffee addict.
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If you liked this post, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
Anyone who blogs knows that there is a lot that goes on behind the screen. Posting often (especially multiple times a day) is exhausting and trying to write original content people wanna see? Even more exhausting. So, heres some of the problems I face as a book blogger.
When you take up blogging, it can take up a lot of your time. Not that it’s wasted time, it’s not, but if it’s between reading, writing, blogging, sleeping, eating, etc – it can be overwhelming. I find it easier to take a day or two out of the week and write reviews and posts just to make it easier. Usually I’ll do about 3-4 in one sitting because once I’ve committed the time it’s easy to just roll with it!
I have a hard time translating ideas to the page sometimes. I’ll think of a super fun blog post or try to write a review, but I can’t get the emotions or idea from my head to the page. It is so frustrating. I just want things to get on the page, in the exact way I thought it, and people understand what I’m going for. Is that so much to ask for?
One of the biggest things I struggle with is confidence. Confidence in my writing, my ideas, and in myself. I try to write as true to me as I can, but it’s hard sometimes because I just want to make fun content I like that other people will like. And when I see other people’s blogs with higher follower counts and high engagement, it sometimes cracks my shell. I’ve even questioned, does anyone even cares what I write about? The honest answer is most likely no, but I try to ignore it. In the end, I’m not those other people and I can only write what is true to me – but it’s hard to ignore sometimes.
I’m well aware that it’s very hard to be “original” as a book blogger. If it’s a tag, it’s most likely been done already. Reviews can all sound the same. And posts you think are gonna be a hit – something no one has ever seen – has been done and it flops.
So creating content that doesn’t feel overdone but is still fun and engaging? Really hard! It’s one of my biggest worries honestly. That I’m not only talking to myself, but that my content is so boring and unoriginal, no one cares about it.
I try to mix things up while also having some familiarity to my stuff, but no matter what I do, I’ll probably always worry about this.
And, the biggest problem of being a book blogger? The actual writing. Especially spoiler free reviews that you just want to go on a full on spoilery rant about but you shouldn’t. Sometimes I sit down to write and it’s like no ones home. I could barely start this post honestly. And don’t get me started on editing! You guys get the cleaned up version of my posts. The hot mess I have to edit and deal with? Agonizing!
Though there are a lot of things that are tough about blogging, I still love it. It gets me excited to read because I have a chance to sit down and write down all my thoughts and sometimes, people listen. I don’t have too many book friends, so getting to gush about stories I love, and rant about the ones I don’t, makes me so happy as a reader. And I love getting to interact with people through my blog and Twitter. I don’t know what I would do, or who I would be, if I didn’t have my blog. So thanks for sticking around with me!
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If you liked this post, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
They Wish They Were Us by debut author Jessica Goodman is a YA Mystery/Thriller that releases on August 4th, 2020. Be sure to preorder this book and find out what really happened to Shaila Arnold.
This was, once again, a buddy read book that I read with my friend Grace, but this time we also read with our friend Bliss! We read about 50 pages every day, except for the ending which was about 70-80 pages.
And our group chat was going CRAZY talking about this book!
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
Gossip Girl meets One of Us Is Lying with a dash of The Secret History in this slick, taut murder mystery set against the backdrop of an exclusive prep school on Long Island.
In Gold Coast, Long Island, everything from the expensive downtown shops to the manicured beaches, to the pressed uniforms of Jill Newman and her friends, looks perfect. But as Jill found out three years ago, nothing is as it seems.
Freshman year Jill’s best friend, the brilliant, dazzling Shaila Arnold, was killed by her boyfriend. After that dark night on the beach, Graham confessed, the case was closed, and Jill tried to move on.
Now, it’s Jill’s senior year and she’s determined to make it her best yet. After all, she’s a senior and a Player–a member of Gold Coast Prep’s exclusive, not-so-secret secret society. Senior Players have the best parties, highest grades and the admiration of the entire school. This is going to be Jill’s year. She’s sure of it.
But when Jill starts getting texts proclaiming Graham’s innocence, her dreams of the perfect senior year start to crumble. If Graham didn’t kill Shaila, who did? Jill is vows to find out, but digging deeper could mean putting her friendships, and her future, in jeopardy.
For starters, we talked extensively about who we thought the killer was. It was a lot of back and forth, but in the end, we guessed correctly – we just didn’t guess HOW it ended. This was a rollercoaster of a book as we’re lead with Jill through all the possibilities and all the obstacles in finding out what really happened to her best friend.
Besides the mystery, we also talked a lot about Jill’s perception of Shaila and her friends in general. Mostly because they don’t seem to act like friends. Maybe it’s the Gossip Girl like situation, where everyone wants to act mature for their age and show that they don’t care, but it just came across really fake. Especially when Jill would remember moments with Shaila or interacts with Nikki. They just seem nasty with each other and overall rude at times.
It was a bit weird.
But besides this weird dynamic, I was more invested in the mystery overall. I wanted to know who did it and why – because it really didn’t seem like Graham was the killer, even during the flashbacks Jill was having.
I thought the build up to the reveal was awesome and it had me on edge, waiting to see what would happen. It was also really interesting getting to hear about this “secret society” they were initiated into called the Players – it was like a sorority and fraternity mixed together, but high school.
Overall, I liked the story and the ride in general, but the friendship dynamics were really weird. Jill’s relationship with Shaila, and even with Nikki, don’t seem genuine at times and it was at times uncomfortable. They claimed to be best friends but then pitted themselves against each other. Overall, I think this was a .5 // 5 stars for me.
If you like murder mysteries and/or Gossip Girl, you will definitely like this book. I thought it was set up well and the ending was really intense!
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If this book sounds interesting, be sure to check out All Your Twisted Secrets by Diana Urban!
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If you liked this review, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
This is a sad update because honestly, I haven’t written in weeks. I was on such a roll with writing and then *poof* my motivation disappeared and now I have a half finished manuscript sitting on my computer, judging me.
This will be a short update because there hasn’t been a lot going on. Honestly, I just need to finish the dang thing so I can start editing. I like editing more than drafting personally it seems (I say until I start the editing process) so if I can just cram out this book, then maybe it will actually turn into a publishable manuscript. Maybe.
So far, my manuscript is currently at 52,516 words (a 27,495 word increase) or 162 pages (up from 76 pages). I’m definitely nearing the climax of this book as we build up to the scene revealed in the prologue and I think because I’m nearing the end of this first draft, I don’t wanna write it. I would guess there’s about maybe 20,000 or so more words to finish this book and then with LOTS of editing, I can get it up to 80-90k. I don’t want my story to be too long, especially for a first draft/first book, but there’s so much that happens I can’t make it too short either.
UGHH THE STRUGGLES.
So yeah, I’m currently stuck in a cycle of “I can’t write, but I need to finish this book and it’s stressing me, but I can’t write because I’m stressed” – we love writing.
Hopefully I can get out of this rut, finish this book, and start editing! I want to have this manuscript finished and polished by the end of summer so I can start querying. We’ll see if that actually ever happens.
Wish me luck!
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If you liked this post, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff is the second book in the Aurora Cycle series. If you have not read the first book, Aurora Rising, feel free to check out my spoiler free review here! While this post will be spoiler free, I cannot guarantee that it will not spoil the first book, so if you have not read it yet, thanks for checking out this post and hopefully I’ll see you again once you’ve finished Aurora Rising!
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
Our heroes are back… kind of. From the bestselling co-authors of the Illuminae Files comes the second book in the epic series about a squad of misfits, losers, and discipline cases who just might be the galaxy’s best hope for survival.
First, the bad news: an ancient evil—you know, your standard consume-all-life-in-the-galaxy deal—is about to be unleashed. The good news? Squad 312 is standing by to save the day. They’ve just got to take care of a few small distractions first.
Like the clan of gremps who’d like to rearrange their favorite faces.
And the cadre of illegit GIA agents with creepy flowers where their eyes used to be, who’ll stop at nothing to get their hands on Auri.
Then there’s Kal’s long-lost sister, who’s not exactly happy to see her baby brother, and has a Syldrathi army at her back. With half the known galaxy on their tails, Squad 312 has never felt so wanted.
When they learn the Hadfield has been found, it’s time to come out of hiding. Two centuries ago, the colony ship vanished, leaving Auri as its sole survivor. Now, its black box might be what saves them. But time is short, and if Auri can’t learn to master her powers as a Trigger, the squad and all their admirers are going to be deader than the Great Ultrasaur of Abraaxis IV.
Shocking revelations, bank heists, mysterious gifts, inappropriately tight bodysuits, and an epic firefight will determine the fate of the Aurora Legion’s most unforgettable heroes—and maybe the rest of the galaxy as well.
So I had seen some … adverse reactions to this book. And I’ll be honest, I was nervous. After finishing Aurora Rising, and crying for hours afterwards, I knew Jay and Amie were out to get us.
The beginning of this book was sad. Everyone was still sad and sore about Cat’s death (honestly, me too) and we’ve now unlocked a piece of the puzzle. Seeing everyone go through their mourning for Cat, as well as continuing to fight to help Auri save the world, is hard. Especially for Tyler.
While the beginning started off slow (for like a few pages lol), we quickly jump back into action and into galaxy saving mode. This whole book was an action filled revelation waiting to happen and the last 150 pages had me locked in.
And the ending. Well, I think I summarized my feelings on the ending with this tweet. Also Jay’s reaction was pretty funny!
Yeah, I was pretty upset. Not sure why Amie and Jay decided to end the book this way, but it ripped my heart out and I’m mad! If you know their writing style, you’ll know what kind of ending I’m talking about.
One of the things I loved the most about this book were the characters. Tyler, while always the golden boy, breaks out of his strict mold. Zila speaks up more and I love it. We see a change in every character throughout this book and I’m here for it. And after that ending, I’m really curious to know what happens to them now.
One thing that annoyed me though was a certain moment in the book. I won’t go into detail, but this revelation came about and I don’t know how I felt about the reaction to it. Like, it didn’t seem fully fair and I think some biases came into play here. It made me really upset and this character did not deserve it one bit.
Besides that, I love this series. I’m really upset I don’t have the next book in my hands ready to go. I really want to know what happens next!
If you’re surprised that I’m giving this book 
// 5 stars – why? I loved Aurora Rising and I loved Aurora Burning – each for their own unique reasons. I can’t wait for the next book to come out and hopefully we don’t have to wait too long!
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If this book sounds interesting to you, check out Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles Series) by Marissa Meyer or Zodiac by Romina Russell.
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If you liked this review, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
Going into this month, I honestly didn’t expect to get through any books. With moving, and work, and other stuff going on I expected to maybe read one or two books, but I went way beyond that.
I loved a lot of the books I read this month and I’m really excited for what I’m reading next month too! I ended up reading 2 of the books I planned to read in July (oops) so I guess I’m on track.
Here’s everything I’ve read in the month of June.
Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rating: 4 // 5 stars
Blood Moon by Lucy Cuthew
Genre: YA Fiction
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power
Genre: YA Fiction/Thriller/Horror
Rating: 4 // 5 stars
Bloodleaf by Crystal Smith
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
Gravemaidens by Kelly Coon
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rating: 4 // 5 stars
Greythorne by Crystal Smith
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
The Deck of Omens by Christine Lynn Herman
Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal
Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars
Heir of Ashes by Jina S. Bazzar
Genre: Adult Fantasy/Urban Fantasy
Rating: N/A
Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Genre: YA Science Fiction/Fantasy
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
Mayhem by Estelle Laure
Genre: YA Contemporary Fantasy
Rating: 3.5 // 5 stars
They Wish They Were Us by Jessica Goodman
Genre: YA Mystery/Thriller
Rating: 4 // 5 stars
Avatar: The Promise by Gene Luen Yang . . .
Genre: YA Fantasy/Graphic Novels
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
Avatar: The Search by Gene Luen Yang . . .
Genre: YA Fantasy/Graphic Novels
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
Avatar: The Rift by Gene Luen Yang . . .
Genre: YA Fantasy/Graphic Novels
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
Avatar: Smoke and Shadow by Gene Luen Yang . . .
Genre: YA Fantasy/Graphic Novels
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
It was so nice to be able to FINALLY read the Avatar comics. I love Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, so to be able to read the comics at last, it makes me so happy. Only two more books before they’re done, but my heart is full. After my rewatch of Korra, I’ll probably end up reading those comics too!
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I loved The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman. I remember how hyped everyone was for this book. The ARC trading world was going nuts trying to get a copy, blogs were posting 5 star reviews, and generally everyone was really excited for this book! But once The Deck of Omens was announced, I didn’t see that kind of energy and it was really sad. I was surprised people weren’t cutting off limbs to read this book early and I was seeing no press or reviews floating around.
Y’all are missing out! This was such an amazing sequel and I’m mad no one is talking about it more! People, get your bullhorns out and start shouting about this series because it’s so good!
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
The teenagers of Four Paths must save their home.
Though the Beast is seemingly subdued for now, a new threat looms in Four Paths: a corruption seeping from the Gray into the forest. And with the other Founders preoccupied by their tangled alliances and fraying relationships, only May Hawthorne seems to realize the danger. But saving the town she loves means seeking aid from the person her family despises most–her and Justin’s father.
May’s father isn’t the only newcomer in town–Isaac Sullivan’s older brother has also returned, seeking forgiveness for the role he played in Isaac’s troubled past. But Isaac isn’t ready to let go of his family’s history, especially when that history might hold the key that he and Violet Saunders need to destroy the Gray and the monster within it.
Harper Carlisle isn’t ready to forgive, either. Two devastating betrayals have left her isolated from her family and uncertain who to trust. As the corruption becomes impossible to ignore, Harper must learn to control her newfound powers in order to protect Four Paths. But the only people who can help her do that are the ones who have hurt her the most.
With the veil between the Gray and the town growing ever thinner, all of the Founder descendants must put their grievances with one another aside to stop the corruption and kill the Beast once and for all.
But maybe the monster they truly need to slay has never been the Beast…
We leave off The Devouring Gray with a team of kids who all need a hug. The Beast is subdued and the Gray is quiet, but there are still a LOT of things that need to be discussed. Soon, we find ourselves in some trouble as The Gray is overcome with corruption which is leaking out and attacking the occupants of Four Paths.
While The Devouring Gray was more plot driven, this book is WAY more character driven and I LOVED IT. Often times I wish for more character development in stories either because so much is going on in the plot that we aren’t shown their changes or the changes never occur – but this book is the opposite. So much character development happened in The Devouring Gray and is now seeping into The Deck of Omens. We see characters self reflect, have ground breaking realizations and acceptance, and the relationships *chef’s kiss* perfection.
Not to say that the plot isn’t a big factor or good, because it is. I mean, it’s Four Paths guys, everything is pretty messed up there. The beginning was a reintroduction to the town and to our characters, then we are quickly moved along to our problem and our potential solution. With the introduction of new characters, like Justin and May’s father and Issac’s brother Gabriel, we get some additional background on our characters, but an increased tension through the group.
It was the perfect storm.
All in all, I love this series and I think it’s so spooky and disturbing that you can’t help but read more to find out what terrifying thing happens next. This gets a .5 // 5 stars for me. I can’t wait to read more from Christine, hopefully I can get my hands on another one of her books soon!
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If this book sounds interesting to you, check out Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan, Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim, or Forest of Souls by Lori M. Lee!
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If you liked this review, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
June was a good reading month for me! Although I didn’t necessarily follow my intended TBR. I’ve put Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare on my TBR for the past three months and it just hasn’t happened. I find myself getting approved or buddy reading other books, so it will have to wait for now.
I only ended up reading half of the books I wanted to read and one of those books ended up on this months TBR. I totally ignored Touch of Gold and Curse of Gold by Annie Sullivan, which I shouldn’t do. I do need to read those soon. Maybe I’ll try to fit at least Touch of Gold into this month’s TBR so I can read Curse of Gold before release.
Most of these are books I received for review or I need to read in order to review other books. A Wicked Magic is for a book tour, They Wish They Were Us is a buddy read, Warmaidens, Ignite the Sun, and Hush are all NetGalley reviews I need to read. I hope I can get through all of these and stick to my TBR but we’ll see. I tend to abandon my TBR apparently.
But, I still want to continue my reading streak and get all of these books (and then some) read before the end of July!
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If you liked this post, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
***I am not affiliated with Fairyloot and purchased this box for my own personal use. The opinions expressed in this post are mine, and mine alone.
Company: Fairyloot
Origin: United Kingdom
Price: $33.90 (USD) + $7.99 (US Shipping)
Month: May, 2020
Theme: Desert Dreams
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For this months box we received
Honestly, I really like this box! My boyfriend and I have already used some of these items, like the tin and the bath salts, for ourselves. I’m not sure what I would use the tea towel for, other than decoration, so that’s kind of a wasted item for me – BUT, I am super happy about the sunglass pouch!
I think the wooden spoon is cute, but it’s so cute that I don’t even want to use it. So it’s sitting in my kitchen as a decoration. The candle smells amazing, but a bit strong, so that might just serve as a decoration too. They’re all just so cute and perfect! I don’t want to even use them lol
As for the book, I knew what it was going to be since I had already read it, but I still love the edition regardless! I think the pink looks so cute and the artwork under the dust jacket is AMAZING. Plus, sprayed edges are just so gorgeous. I’m geeking out! Feel free to check out my spoiler free review of Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust if you haven’t had a chance yet.
I unfortunately have to skip this box because, well, money, but I know EXACTLY what the book is and I’m so excited! Part of me is really upset I have to miss out on this box, but I also can’t afford to drop $150+ on book boxes this month, much less the $100 I budgeted for July.
Regardless, I’m still excited to see everyone’s beautiful pictures and hope everyone enjoys their box!
Spots for subscribers is currently SOLD OUT, but feel free to join their US waitlist here! They will contact you once a space has opened for you to subscriber!
The best stories have a good plot, diverse characters, and a villain you can’t help but love. The more interesting a villain, the more I enjoy a book, and sometimes it’s hard to get that perfect balance of evil and likable. So, here’s a list of some of my favorite villains!
The Darkling is such a charming, charismatic person you can’t help but love him. Every interaction Alina had with him had me anxiously waiting to see what happened next. He believed in his mission, he loved Alina, and he wanted to change the world. Those conditions and attributes combined created a villain I loved. I didn’t want to hate him, and I sort of understood his intentions, but we all knew they were skewed.
Maeve as a villain is someone I love to hate. She’s evil, vindictive, and had a lot of motivation for her actions. I still hated her though. By the end, I could see how she wasn’t the true villain of the story, but her actions in the series allowed for our true villain to appear. Man I hated that guy lol
Corien, who we get to learn more about in Kingsbane, is such an evil guy. And when I mean evil, I mean evil. But also such a good antagonist. I mean everything he does makes me want to smack him on the head and then we get to the kissy kissy scenes and I’m swooning. Damn him!
The premise of this book is that there are no heroes or villains. We just have anti-heroes really and that means I can love all my boys the same! Victor, our protagonist (I guess you could call him) doesn’t want to be a hero – he wants revenge. And Eli? Well, he wants to be seen as a hero, but I guess murder isn’t a good way of going about that as he eradicates everyone with a super ability. This pair of equally grey characters is such a fun read.
OOOOHHH LET ME TELL YOU. I hate Marcus, I hate the Commandant, and I HATE the Nightbringer. Oh my gosh I hate these characters with a passion. And it’s not even because they’re bad characters/villains, it’s because they’re so EVIL that I just want them out of the way so my cinnamon roll Elias and my baby Laia can FINALLY BE HAPPY. GOSH I GET SO UPSET.
I find myself loving books with morally grey villains, or at least charming villains, because they make things so much more interesting. Like how can I even be mad when your messed up plan actually makes sense? How can I hate you when you’re so lovable and charming?! It can be so frustrating.
What are some villains you love and love to hate? Let me know in the comments!
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As many may have seen on Twitter, the tour company, FFBC (Flying Fantastic Book Club), has recently made racists remarks, attacked a POC reviewer who called them out, and then posted private information about said reviewer as retaliation. While they brushed the remarks off as “ignorance” and claimed to educate themselves (also claiming the issue had been resolved) – their recent actions have proven there is no allyship within this company and that they are not a company to work with.
I do not support or condone racists remarks or actions and therefore have cut ties with this company.
Nor do I support or condone sharing private, personal information as a retaliation or attack against anyone or in general.
FFBC has also claimed on Twitter they will sue anyone who has participated in “defamation” and will take legal action against anyone who has spoken out against them. Which of course they then deleted, trying to cover their tracks. I do not feel comfortable working with a company who participates in hurting POC content creators, then threatens them when they speak out, and refuses to accept the harm they have caused.
These actions are despicable and unacceptable. I will no longer be affiliated with this company or any similar company or persons.
I previously participated in their The Boundless blog tour before this situation occurred and was scheduled to participate in their tour for A Wicked Magic and Splinters of Scarlett. I have already emailed FFBC informing them I would not be participating in these tours.
I will still be reviewing these books and promoting them on my Twitter and blog to support the book and the author.
I encourage anyone who is still in partnership with this company to cut ties. I will no longer be working with this company and encourage others not to work with them as well.
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!
I had an ARC of Bloodleaf by Crystal Smith sitting in my house since November/December 2018. Two of my friends went to YallFEST 2018 and while I wanted to go, I couldn’t. They asked if there was anything they could pick up and I said, yes – Bloodleaf! They were so sweet and managed to grab me a couple other titles as well as Bloodleaf – but I never read it. Until now.
Flash forward to YallFEST 2019 and I find myself in line for a “mystery” ARC drop that only had 25 copies. Some speculated what it might be, but we were all shocked when they handed us Greythorne. Then, I also managed to receive an eARC through NetGalley and finally, I realized I needed to read this book.
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
Aurelia is a princess, but they call her a witch.
Surrounded by spirits and burdened with forbidden magic, she lives in constant fear of discovery by the witch-hunting Tribunal and their bloodthirsty mobs. When a devastating assassination attempt reveals her magical abilities, Aurelia is forced to flee her country with nothing but her life.
Alone and adrift in an enemy kingdom, Aurelia plans her revenge against the Tribunal, desperate to bring down the dark organization that has wrought terror upon her people for hundreds of years. But there’s something deeply amiss in her new home, too, and soon she finds herself swept into a deadly new mystery with a secretive prince, the ghost of an ancient queen, and a poison vine called Bloodleaf.
Aurelia is entangled in a centuries-long game of love, power, and war, and if she can’t break free before the Tribunal makes its last move, she may lose far more than her crown.
I’m going to have to make a category or a list of all the books I say, “I wish I read this sooner” because there are a lot now, and this is one of them.
Why did no one tell me this book was so good? Why did no one mention how amazing this book was and let me go a year and a half without reading it!? I was gonna trade away my copy because I thought I wasn’t going to read/like it. Who let this happen!?
Okay, so it’s my fault for not listening to my friends when they told me how amazing this book is. And I regret not listening to them. This was such a fun read, also really intense, but I really enjoyed myself! I liked a lot of things about this book including the magic system, the history, and our group of characters.
Sure, Aurelia/Emilie does give off the “I’m doing this for the greater good, it’s best no one knows” ideology even though I want to smack her for it. But her character was also fun to read about as she explored her magic and the actions of her predecessors that brought herself and everyone around her into this situation.
And what a sticky situation we have here folks.
The characters can not catch a break, at all. There were several moments I gasped, shed a tear, or even full on cried. It’s like I forget how powerful YA books can be when they play with your emotions.
Especially that ending. Was not emotionally prepped for everything that happened and everything I KNOW is gonna have to happen for two more books to appear. I’m worried but also excited.
I really liked this book and I’m really excited to read my copy of Greythorne now, so this is going to be added to my // 5 stars list.
Let me know if you’ve read Bloodleaf and whether or not you’re ready for Greythorne because I am NOT.
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If this book sounds interesting to you, check out The Storm Crow by Kalyn Josephson or Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko.
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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 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.
So far, I’ve been approved for these titles:
Declined for these titles:
And currently waiting on these titles:
Yeah, I’m in trouble.
I’ve been approved for these titles:
Denied for these titles:
And currently pending for these titles:
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!
I finally read Gravemaidens by Kelly Coon and I am so excited to read the next book, Warmaidens!
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
The start of a fierce fantasy duology about three maidens who are chosen for their land’s greatest honor…and one girl determined to save her sister from the grave.
In the walled city-state of Alu, Kammani wants nothing more than to become the accomplished healer her father used to be before her family was cast out of their privileged life in shame.
When Alu’s ruler falls deathly ill, Kammani’s beautiful little sister, Nanaea, is chosen as one of three sacred maidens to join him in the afterlife. It’s an honor. A tradition. And Nanaea believes it is her chance to live an even grander life than the one that was stolen from her.
But Kammani sees the selection for what it really is—a death sentence.
Desperate to save her sister, Kammani schemes her way into the palace to heal the ruler. There she discovers more danger lurking in the sand-stone corridors than she could have ever imagined and that her own life—and heart—are at stake. But Kammani will stop at nothing to dig up the palace’s buried secrets even if it means sacrificing everything…including herself.
I managed to grab an ARC of Gravemaidens by Kelly Coon during ALA 2019. It was one of those books that I put off reading because another, newer title was grabbing my attention. I managed to get an eARC of Warmaidens, so I thought now was probably the best time to start reading!
I thought this was an interesting book. Not sure how this is a fantasy as it doesn’t delve past basic herbology, but I’m hoping the fantasy elements come into play in the next book. I enjoyed Kammani’s passion for healing and her desire to save her sister. I felt so bad for her family with everything that they went through – anyone would be bitter after all of that.
I liked the plot, but I wanted more fantasy. This book didn’t feel like a fantasy novel to me, though I still like it, I just don’t understand where the fantasy element comes into play?
Besides that, it was a fun ride. The last 150 pages had my head spinning. I didn’t want to put the book down and miss anything that was going to happen next.
This was a really interesting book and I liked Kammani’s story a lot. This was a // 5 stars. I’m really excited to see where this story is heading in book two, and thanks to NetGalley, I will get to read the sequel shortly!
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If this book sounds interesting, be sure to check out Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron.
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If you liked this review, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
I am so excited for Intisar Khanani’s newest book, The Theft of Sunlight! I loved her novel Thorn, and The Theft of Sunlight is the first in a companion duology for the Dauntless Path’s world! EEEP!!
Here is a synopsis from Goodreads:
I did not choose this fate. But I will not walk away if I can make a difference.
Children have been disappearing from Menaiya for longer than Amraeya ni Ansarim can remember. When her best friend’s sister disappears, Rae knows she can’t stay silent any longer. She finds the chance to make a difference in an invitation to the palace.
But Rae struggles to fit in with the lords and ladies of the court. Instead, she finds unexpected help in a rough-around-the-edges thief named Bren who always seems to have her best interests at heart. Soon even Bren can’t help her, and Rae must risk her life and well-being to face an evil that lurks in the shadows of the darkest hearts.
Without further ado . . . here is the cover for The Theft of Sunlight by Intisar Khanani!
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Isn’t this cover gorgeous!? This cover was designed by Jenny Zemanek and I absolutely love it! I’m so excited for the next book in the Dauntless Path’s world!
This book releases on March 23rd, 2021 so be sure to mark your calendars and preorder a copy today!
Intisar is also doing an amazing giveaway to celebrate her new book which you can find on her website. If you haven’t read Thorn yet, here is a link to the Goodreads page, as well as where you can order Thorn today!
Intisar Khanani grew up a nomad and world traveler. Born in Wisconsin, she has lived in five different states as well as in Jeddah on the coast of the Red Sea. She currently resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband and two young daughters. Prior to publishing her novels, Intisar worked as a public health consultant on projects relating to infant mortality and minority health, which was as close as she could get to saving the world. Now she focuses her time on her two passions: raising her family and writing fantasy.
Intisar’s current projects include the re-release of her debut, Thorn, from HarperTeen (2020) and her indie epic fantasy series, The Sunbolt Chronicles.
To find out about new releases, giveaways, and so forth, subscribe to Intisar’s monthly author newsletter.
Here are some links to Intisar’s personal pages!
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!
I am so excited for this post! This is the first blog tour that I am participating in and it’s for a book that I really loved, YAY! I received an eARC of The Boundless by Anna Bright in exchange for an honest review from Edelweiss/Fantastic Flying Book Club.
Be sure to check out the other amazing reviews/posts from this tour!
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
This breathtaking sequel to The Beholder will take you on a journey into a darkly sparkling fairy tale, perfect for fans of The Selection and Caraval.
When Selah found true love with Prince Torden of Norway, she never imagined she’d have to leave him behind. All because the Beholder’s true mission was a secret Selah’s crew didn’t trust her to keep: transporting weapons to the rebels fighting against the brutal tsarytsya, whose shadow looms over their next port of Shvartsval’d. A place Selah hoped she’d never go.
But gone is the girl who departed Potomac filled with fear. With a stockpile of weapons belowdecks and her heart hanging in the balance, Selah is determined to see the Beholder’s quest to its end.
Let me just add, The Beholder killed me. If you haven’t read the first book, feel free to check out my spoiler free review of The Beholder! It’s like The Bachelor – cruise ship edition.
To start, where we leave off in book 1 is where we start for book 2. And it broke my heart. I want Selah and Torden to be together and I was not happy that they were separated. It made me so upset! This book is less of the romance, happy times kind of book and it dives into a much darker tone.
I thought this shift was brilliant. As Selah gets closer towards the Imperiya, the stakes are raised. Not only do we not want to go there, but if she makes it that far, there is a serious chance of certain death. Since Selah has found her prince, there was no reason to continue with the romance hunt, so we dive into more political aspects.
I think I like The Boundless more than The Beholder for that reason.
Selah undergoes HUGE changes in this story and anyone who complained she was “whiny” or “weak” will be proven wrong in this book. She gets a strengthened back bone and learns to fight for herself, and the people she cares about. It’s such a needed and appreciated growth that it makes me like her character a lot more.
This book is dark, terrifying, and heart racing. I didn’t want to go past the beginning because I knew we were going to enter a much more serious section of the book – but it had to be done.
Now, the ending – LOVED IT. I thought this was a great wrap up and while I wish we could have had a book 3, I think Anna does an amazing job ending this story and giving us not only a tale we can enjoy, but one we can learn from.
Since I like this book more than The Beholder, I think it deserves a better rating. There wasn’t much that I didn’t like about the story, though I didn’t want it to end. I have to give The Boundless // 5 stars.
Thanks again, Fantastic Flying Book Club for letting me participate in your blog tour of The Boundless by Anna Bright! This book releases on Tuesday, June 9th, so if you are interested in reading the sequel to The Beholder, be sure to preorder a copy through the links below!
Anna Bright is an indie bookseller by day and an author by night who still gets in trouble for reading when she’s supposed to be doing other things. When not hiding out among books, she loves concerts, roller coasters, and adventures at home and abroad. Anna lives with her husband and cat in a charming cobblestoned neighborhood in Washington, DC, but you can find her online at http://www.annabrightbooks.com and on Twitter and Instagram at @brightlyanna.
AUTHOR LINKS
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17310926.
Anna Bright Website: https://www.annabrightbooks.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/brightlyanna
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightlyanna/?hl=en
Tumblr: https://merryandbr1ght.tumblr.com/
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If this book sounds interesting, be sure to check out The Selection by Keira Cass.
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This was another book I received from YallFEST 2019 and buddy read with my friend Grace. We’ve been buddy reading a lot lately!
Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko releases on August 18th, 2020 – so be sure to preorder a copy!
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
The epic debut YA fantasy from an incredible new talent—perfect for fans of Tomi Adeyemi and Sabaa Tahir
Nothing is more important than loyalty.
But what if you’ve sworn to protect the one you were born to destroy?
Tarisai has always longed for the warmth of a family. She was raised in isolation by a mysterious, often absent mother known only as The Lady. The Lady sends her to the capital of the global empire of Aritsar to compete with other children to be chosen as one of the Crown Prince’s Council of 11. If she’s picked, she’ll be joined with the other Council members through the Ray, a bond deeper than blood. That closeness is irresistible to Tarisai, who has always wanted to belong somewhere. But The Lady has other ideas, including a magical wish that Tarisai is compelled to obey: Kill the Crown Prince once she gains his trust. Tarisai won’t stand by and become someone’s pawn—but is she strong enough to choose a different path for herself? With extraordinary world-building and breathtaking prose, Raybearer is the story of loyalty, fate, and the lengths we’re willing to go for the ones we love.
The beginning was like a fairytale. I think that’s what got me really interested in this story. We see Tarisai’s introduction to life and her childhood the same way a story teller would weave the images for you, speaking so rhythmically and songlike, you’re entranced. As we move into the story line, I found myself liking the story even more. I wasn’t sure what path this was going to go on, but the surprises it has in store will definitely shock you.
I really liked this book and thought this was well written except for the ending. The ending kinda confused me. On Goodreads, it says this is a standalone. But the author, and other people who have asked the author, say that there is a sequel. We end like there is supposed to be a sequel – and I hope there is one! – but if it’s supposed to be a standalone, then I think the ending needs to be wrapped up better. We have so many loose ends not tied up that need to be in order for this story to properly finish. I want there to be a sequel, but since I don’t see one announced, I have to look at it as a standalone.
So, the ending was kinda confusing and a bit disappointing because of that. We leave off in such a way that there is a call to action when we should be getting closure. And it made me want more to the ending.
Besides the ending, I thought the plot was concise and well written, the characters are definitely interesting people, the challenges our MC go through are not easy – a perfect set up for a good book. Tarisai goes through some pretty serious stuff throughout this book and by the end, I feel really bad for her. There were moments that I wanted to give her a hug because she could really use it.
Raybearer has faeries, fantastic journeys, lifelong friendships, and a found family mixed with African folklore to make an epic fantasy debut.
This was such a great book and I have to give it // 5 stars. Please be sure to preorder a copy for yourself through any major retailer – Amazon, B&N, or any other place you buys books.
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If this book sounds interesting to you, check out Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi or A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown.
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If you liked this review, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
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If you liked this post, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
I don’t remember requesting this book on Edelweiss, but I guess I did since I got an email saying I was approved for this title. I received an eARC of Blood Moon by Lucy Cuthew from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This book releases on September 1st, 2020, so be sure to preorder a copy!
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
A timely feminist YA novel in verse about periods, sex, shame and going viral for all the wrong reasons.
BLOOD MOON is a YA novel about the viral shaming of a teenage girl. During her seminal sexual experience with the quiet and lovely Benjamin, physics-lover and astronomy fan Frankie gets her period – but the next day a gruesome meme goes viral, turning an innocent, intimate afternoon into something sordid, mortifying and damaging.
This was a book I didn’t know I needed. I related to Frankie, our main character, so much that I found myself crying when she cried, laughing when she laughed, and overall understanding her journey. The thing that was hardest to read was her fall out with her best friend Harriet (Harry). We’ve all been in that situation before, when we need our best friend most but they’re not there, either because of a fight or you’re simply no longer friends anymore. It made the emotional impact of this book much greater and I found myself getting into the story.
This book is written in prose, similar to an epic, but no rhyming. I usually am not a fan of prose because it can be distracting, but this suited the story so well I can’t imagine reading it any other way. The creativity and emotional impact of the writing hit home in a way that I didn’t think was possible. It was so empowering too. I loved getting to read a story in this way and it made it easier to get through, honestly.
I didn’t expect to like this book, but after the first few pages, I was hooked. I couldn’t put it down and ended up reading the book basically in one sitting. I think any menstruating person and anyone who was a teen will relate to this story, especially if they have been a teen within the last ten years. Nowadays, going viral, especially over something embarrassing, is a common occurrence. Teens will definitely relate to this story because I know I did.
And I loved the message it rings out.
So even though I didn’t think I would enjoy this book, this is, without a doubt, // 5 stars. I wish I had this book when I was in high school.
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If this book sounds interesting to you, check out 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!
Unravel the Dusk by Elizabeth Lim is the sequel to Spin the Dawn, which releases on July 7th, 2020. I managed to get an ARC of this book and I was so excited! I read Spin the Dawn last year and ADORED IT. I have never read a story like this before and it was one of my first reviews on this blog. It’s crazy to think that a whole year has gone by. If you have not read Spin the Dawn, feel free to check out my spoiler free review here. This review is spoiler free, but may spoil events in the first book.
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
The thrilling sequel to SPIN THE DAWN, a magical series steeped in Chinese culture.
Maia Tamarin’s journey to sew the dresses of the sun, the moon and the stars has taken a grievous toll. She returns to a kingdom on the brink of war. The boy she loves is gone, and she is forced to don the dress of the sun and assume the place of the emperor’s bride-to-be to keep the peace.
But the war raging around Maia is nothing compared to the battle within. Ever since she was touched by the demon Bandur, she has been changing . . . glancing in the mirror to see her own eyes glowing red, losing control of her magic, her body, her mind. It’s only a matter of time before Maia loses herself completely, but she will stop at nothing to find Edan, protect her family, and bring lasting peace to her country.
YA fantasy readers will love the sizzling forbidden romance, mystery, and intrigue of UNRAVEL THE DUSK.
We pick up right where we left off in Spin the Dawn and are immediately thrown back into Maia and Edan’s mess. And what a mess there is.
Honestly, I adore this series. I’m so sad that it’s only a duology and not a trilogy (I swear I thought it was a trilogy) but I will take what I can get in this series! I love the world, the storyline, the characters. Everything about this book is fun and yet also awful – I hate seeing characters turn into literal monsters.
I didn’t find myself disliking anything in the book overall. I think the only comment I would have though is that I wanted more EDAN!! He was so present in Spin the Dawn and his interactions with Maia made me so happy. I wanted to see more of him in Unravel the Dusk. I also wanted to see a different kind of ending. I won’t go into details, and I thought the ending was beautiful, but it felt … easy? I guess that’s the word I’m gonna go with. I just wanted to see a different kind of ending and I’m curious what kind of outcome a different ending would bring. Besides that, I thought this was a great wrap up of the series.
We see Maia’s internal struggle, external struggle, her actions are presenting clear consequences and obstacles for her to overcome, and we get to see different sides to familiar characters. What more can you ask for in a story? Oh yeah – awesome dialogue/character interactions – which this book definitely has!
If I hadn’t been moving these past few days, I would have finished the book ages ago, but I’m glad I got to finish the book in my new apartment. First book finished in my new home! (woo!)
There were multiple points in the book that I was tearing up or about to cry – they were so beautiful. And some parts really painful. As Maia undergoes these changes in herself she fights a literal demon inside of her, but I think anyone can relate to fighting against the voice in their head. Whether the author intended it or not, it had great symbolism to mental illnesses like depression and anxiety, and seeing Maia struggle to feel like herself and keep her head above water was beautifully written.
So, I love this series! And I really liked this book. There were certain things that I thought could be changed or a bit “easy”, but I won’t go into anymore details than that! This was a great ending to the series and I think everyone should read this beautifully written story. .5 // 5 stars from me.
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If this book sounds interesting, check out Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan.
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If you liked this review, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
So far, I’m pretty happy with how much I’ve read this month! Some of these books I started at the end of May and finished in the beginning of June, but I’m counting them! My goal is to read eight books this month and so far, I’ve done really well and I’ll definitely going to meet that goal. Let’s just hope I continue reading such amazing stories for the rest of this month.
I’m surprised I am able to read so much this month. Before moving in I thought I would have no time to read and would be lucky to get through 2 books a week. But it looks like I’m getting through a book about every other day or so, which is awesome! I hope to continue to have as much reading time going forward and hopefully, you’ll be seeing reviews of these books soon!
What books are you currently reading? Are you close to your goal for this month?
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If you liked this post, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
I haven’t done a tag or post like this before, but since I’ve been getting really active on here, I thought I should introduce myself! This is the Behind the Book Blogger Tag which I saw on Reads and Thoughts blog. She wasn’t able to tag the original creator, so I’ll just tag her since that’s where I saw it from! I tag Writing the Universe to complete this next!
When I first started blogging, I wanted to have a platform to write my thoughts about books that was more unique and individualized than Goodreads. I love being able to express myself freely on my own site. Unlike Goodreads, which doesn’t give you a lot of creativity, blogging allows me to formulate my thoughts, make fun content, and explore things outside of reviewing books! Goodreads and retail sites are all reviews, but blogging lets me do other things, like this tag!
That’s difficult because I really only write stuff like I like to read and write. I hate writing just to get a post out. But if I had to pick one kind of post, it would be my TBR posts. It’s so fun getting to narrow down what books I want to read and figuring out what reviews I have to get done and what books I can read in my spare time. Also, it gives me a clear path of what I need to read within this month so I’m not just jumping around trying to figure out what to read next – which I also end up doing anyways.
Top three? 🙈 Uhhhh –
ARC Review + Author Interview: Shielded
ARC Review: Blood & Honey
Making Assumptions About Books I’ve Never Read
Besides reading, I love to sing 😍 It’s a lot of fun to sing songs that I find fun or challenging and hear myself improve. Plus, rocking out to songs is fun! I also love to cook and bake, so long as I’m not too tired.
Reading in a cozy chair 📚
Spending time with my friends, especially girls trips 💕
A good nap. I’m a simple girl. ☺️
I just recently hit 100 blog posts, which is awesome! 🎉 I’ve also gotten more authors and publishers reaching out to me to review their books which is wild. I never would have thought anyone would want me to read and review their work, so that makes me really excited.
I’m a very artsy person, so most of my hobbies revolve around books, music, theatre, and art – although I am a terrible artist so I more so appreciate art rather than partake in it. I also love organizing things, especially making lists or writing things in calendars.
Fun 🤪
Loud 🙈
Loving 💕
I hate loud, obnoxious chewing. People walking slowly on a crowded hallway/street or just SUDDENLY STOPPING IN FRONT OF YOU 😡When someone takes something of mine without asking, whether it’s food or a book, whatever. Just ask.
I am a classically trained flutist and I was going to go to school for Flute Performance before my band teacher destroyed my spirits and I second guessed myself 😭 I’m mad that I listened to him and didn’t go for my dreams, but I’m still happy where I ended up.
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If you liked this post, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
This month, I wanted to do my part to help indie bookstores so I ordered a couple of books from my somewhat local indie store, One More Page Books. I’m not sure I’ll be able to order physical books for the future, but I will probably keep my eye out for any good kindle book deals (so pass them along if you have them!).
For May, I not only ordered books, but I also received some! I happened to win a Twitter giveaway (which NEVER happens for me) so I have FIVE books currently on the way! I did include them in this post because I won them in May, but I don’t know if they’ll actually arrive before the end of the month.
Okay, moving on! Here’s what I purchased and received in May 2020!
The Bone Charmer by Breeana Shields
Format: Hardcover
Bought from: One More Page Books
The Bone Thief by Breeana Shields
Format: Hardcover
Bought from: One More Page Books
The Vanishing Deep by Astrid Scholte
Format: Hardcover
Bought from: One More Page Books
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Format: Hardcover (Collector’s Edition)
Bought from: One More Page Books
The Fever King by Victoria Lee
Format: e-book
Bought from: Kindle (free)
Ignite the Sun by Hanna C. Howard
Format: e-book
Received from: NetGalley
The Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty
Format: ARC
Received from: Goodreads giveaway
Mayhem by Estelle Laure
Format: ARC
Received from: Nostalgia Hour Giveaway
The Mall by Megan McCafferty
Format: ARC
Received from: Nostalgia Hour Giveaway
Forest of Souls by Lori M. Lee
Format: ARC
Received from: Publisher
Heir of Ashes by Jina S. Bazzar
Format: e-book
Received from: Author for review
All Your Twisted Secrets by Diana Urban
Format: ARC
Received from: Twitter Giveaway
The Lucky Ones by Liz Lawson
Format: ARC
Received from: Twitter Giveaway
Crave by Tracy Wolff
Format: ARC
Received from: Twitter Giveaway
Girls Save the World in This One by Ash Parsons
Format: ARC
Received from: Twitter Giveaway
Incendiary by Zoraida Cordova
Format: ARC
Received from: Twitter Giveaway
Divine Blood by Beck Michaels
Format: eARC
Received from: Author
Warmaidens by Kelly Coon
Format: eARC
Received from: NetGalley
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If you liked this post, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
I recently started using Edelweiss after hearing how some people have become active and successful on the site. So far, I have been approved for the one book, The Crow Rider by Kalyn Josephson. I loved The Storm Crow and I was so excited to read the sequel!
This e-ARC of The Crow Rider by Kalyn Josephson was given to me in exchange for an honest review. This review will be spoiler free, but may discuss events that occurred in The Storm Crow. If you have not read book 1, feel free to visit my review on The Storm Crow and be sure to order it to read today!
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
Princess Thia, her allies, and her crow, Res, are planning a rebellion to defeat Queen Razel and Illucia once and for all. Thia must convince the neighboring kingdoms to come to her aid, and Res’s show of strength is the only thing that can help her.
But so many obstacles stand in her way. Res excels at his training, until he loses control of his magic, harming Thia in the process. She is also pursued by Prince Ericen, heir to the Illucian throne and the one person she can’t trust but can’t seem to stay away from.
As the rebel group prepares for war, Res’s magic grows more unstable. Thia has to decide if she can rely on herself and their bond enough to lead the rebellion and become the crow rider she was meant to be.
I have to say it, I thought the first book was better. Hear me out! The Crow Rider starts off with us traveling to rally the other kingdoms and save their home! But then, things start to slow down. We’re hit with immediate action and fighting then there’s a lull. And it felt like a lull for most of the book.
Now, though there was a lot of talking, the banter was awesome. Thia makes new friends, we get some sassy Prince in the mix, and everyone has moments of genuine happiness. It was a good mixture of politics, relaxation, and sprinkles of fighting to the death.
But let’s talk about one thing that I thought could have been done a little smoother and cleaner, the relationships. We get lots of back and forth on the relationships – who is interested in who, people ending things – and what not. I felt like a certain relationship that came across strongly, ending suddenly. I’m not mad it ended, I’m mad it went from intense to dead within seconds.
I wanted it to end a little more subtly – especially since there was so much time at the beginning to show the relationship fizzling!
But besides that, I loved this book. I mean yeah, there were some slow moments when I didn’t feel like that in the first book, but that’s it! Maybe that’s because we get a lot more intense fighting and action in this book compared to the first, so the slower moments feel slower. I’m not sure. And ok, I wished the relationships were explored a bit more, they felt a little rushed – but honestly, those were minor things in comparison to the intensity of this book. The continuation of the plot was seamless, characters didn’t feel different or unfamiliar, just changed. We get to see how other nations in this world think and work. And, I mean, the writing! It’s so good!
But lets talk about what I loved – because I did love this book. 1) We get to see more of Thia’s background in terms of memories, relationships to other nations, so on and so forth. 2) As I said before, we get to know more about the other nations in this world, which was exciting. 3) We explore the effects of war in terms of depression and PTSD which I think doesn’t get talked about enough.
I loved the new people Thia became friends with, they added a new perspective to the story. Also, Res is grown! And he is a sassy character and I love it. And through it all, I found myself excited and genuinely interested in what was going on and what was going to happen next. It’s a great ending to this duology and I think people are going to love this book.
So, though there were some moments I wish had been changed/improved on, this is still one of my favorite duologies. I am definitely giving this a .5 // 5 stars.
If you haven’t preordered your copy of The Crow Rider by Kalyn Josephson, here are some links to popular sites you can get this book from! This book will release on July 7th, 2020 – so be sure to preorder your copy asap!
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If this book sounds interesting to you, be sure to check out The Raven and the Dove by Kaitlyn Davis
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If you liked this review, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
I got an ARC of The Kinder Poison by Natalie Mae a couple of weeks ago and, after reading a sneak peak, I had to pick this up asap. The Kinder Poison by Natalie Mae releases on June 16th, 2020 – so be sure to preorder a copy!
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
Perfect for fans of Victoria Aveyard and Holly Black, this enthralling fantasy adventure follows a teenage girl chosen to be the human sacrifice in a deadly game between three heirs who will do anything for the crown.
Zahru has long dreamed of leaving the kingdom of Orkena and having the kinds of adventures she’s only ever heard about in stories. But as a lowly Whisperer, her power to commune with animals means that her place is serving in the royal stables until the day her magic runs dry.
All that changes when the ailing ruler invokes the Crossing: a death-defying race across the desert, in which the first of his heirs to finish—and take the life of a human sacrifice at the journey’s end—will ascend to the throne and be granted unparalleled abilities.
With all of the kingdom abuzz, Zahru leaps at the chance to change her fate if just for a night by sneaking into the palace for a taste of the revelry. But the minor indiscretion turns into a deadly mistake when she gets caught up in a feud between the heirs and is forced to become the Crossing’s human sacrifice. Zahru is left with only one hope for survival: somehow figuring out how to overcome the most dangerous people in the world.
I read the first two chapters on Bookish First, a site that gives you a preview of a book that you can read and rate and possibly win! I’ve never won anything from them before, but I had read the excerpt on there and really wanted to read this book. It seemed like such an interesting fantasy novel and I wasn’t wrong.
I adored this book. It was an easy fantasy to get into and from start to finish, I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happened next. I love the aspect of different magic’s having different societal implications – such as a Whisperer (someone who can speak to animals) being seen as a lower member of society and therefore not eligible for royalty, or even schooling. While I don’t think that system is right, it sets up our character for her first mistake – making her way to the banquet where they choose the Firsts for a race through the desert.
Then of course, we have the Princes’ and their personalities and rivalry. The toxic sibling dynamic throws poor Zahru into the worst possible situation: becoming a human sacrifice. I loved the plot, the characters, and the humanity behind the story. Kindness is important and it matters – we can all appreciate Zahru for reminding us of that.
It made me laugh every time poor Zahru was thrown around from one person to another. Or I guess I should say stolen from one person to the next. But I got so frustrated every time Zahru would make a valid point about not sacrificing her, since she’s not supposed to be sacrificed, and everyone would go “eh”! Like, people! Don’t kill innocent people!! This story was a rollercoaster for sure.
This fantastical story is one that I not only wish I could read for the first time again, but I need the second book right now. The ending made me gasp and I need to know what happens next! If you like magic, near death experiences, budding romances, and complex characters – this book is one you’ll want to add to your list!
I loved this book and after the epilogue, this is a definite // 5 stars for me! Be sure to preorder this book before release day and get ready for a wild ride.
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If this book sounds interesting, be sure to check out Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin.
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If you liked this review, please like this post, leave a comment, follow, share with your friends – anything is appreciated!
Just wanted to make a formal announcement because I realized my old links won’t work now, but I have a new blog! I will no longer be publishing content on Lady and Star – my new blog is called We Write at Dawn!
You will find all of my old content on this blog, so don’t worry if you wanted to catch up on some old blog posts. If you haven’t had a chance to follow my blog, be sure to follow so you can stay up to date on all my posts! I post 5 days a week with book reviews, book content, and other fun posts.
I hope you all like the new name and thank you to everyone who has supported me, new and old.
I love Victoria/V.E. Schwab’s books – including her middle grade series, The Cassidy Blake series. The first book, City of Ghosts, was so good! I read the ARC that I received at BookCon 2018 and fell in love.
Some people have a weird thing about not reading younger books, as if they’re not as good or as sophisticated, but that’s simply not true. I think middle grade books are important and should be read! They can be silly and “childish” (since they’re FOR CHILDREN) but that doesn’t mean they don’t talk about important issues. Same thing with YA. Just because it’s marketed for young people doesn’t mean that it’s not a good story to read – and I think this series is awesome!
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
Trouble is haunting Cassidy Blake . . . even more than usual.
She (plus her ghost best friend, Jacob, of course) are in Paris, where Cass’s parents are filming their TV show about the world’s most haunted cities. Sure, it’s fun eating croissants and seeing the Eiffel Tower, but there’s true ghostly danger lurking beneath Paris, in the creepy underground Catacombs.
When Cass accidentally awakens a frighteningly strong spirit, she must rely on her still-growing skills as a ghosthunter — and turn to friends both old and new to help her unravel a mystery. But time is running out, and the spirit is only growing stronger.
And if Cass fails, the force she’s unleashed could haunt the city forever.
Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab is the second book in the Cassidy Blake series and it takes place in Paris, France. If you haven’t read City of Ghosts, Cassidy Blake #1, here is the link to my review! My opinions have changed a lot since that post, especially about middle grades, so take that part with a grain of salt.
This book is so good. I read it in one sitting and I can say, this is a keeper. I can see myself passing this along to my kids to read along with Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. Cassidy is such a fun character to hang out with, and her best friend Jacob is awesome too! (He’s making me write this)
We get to explore the haunted parts of Paris and learn about a new kind of ghost, a poltergeist. Jacob, our handy dandy ghost friend, isn’t doing so well either and Cassidy is scared he’s going to become just like our new found poltergeist friend. Their friendship is really cute and it touches on important moments for young friends, like gathering up the trust to tell an important secret or a bad memory.
As a kid, I would have loved to read about a series that lets me travel the world and go ghost hunting! I read so many ghost stories, especially in middle school, including Meg Cabot’s The Mediator series. You have no idea how much I wanted to be able to see and talk to ghosts (and maybe even fall in love with one?) because of these stories.
While Victoria’s series isn’t as romantic, and definitely more scary, they’re a fun adventure that any kid can follow. If they ever get an opportunity to travel the world there are sights to be seen from this book. And if not, it’s like you’ve already been there.
Overall, I think this book is so good and so cute. I worry for Jacob and I’m curious to see how his character changes in the next book. I’m not sure how many books are in this series, but I hope it continues cause I love this.
For my rating, I have to give it // 5 stars for top scares, excellent scenery, and fun moments between friends. If you, or your child, is looking for a good middle grade ghost story – check out the Cassidy Blake series!
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If this book sounds interesting, be sure to check out Percy Jackson and the Olympian’s, The Lightening Thief, by Rick Riordan OR The Mediator series, Shadowland by Meg Cabot.
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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
