Tag: review

Book Review – Of Rioters and Royals

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Title: Of Rioters and Royals (Swift Shadows Book #1)

Author: M. L. Greye

Publisher: Kindle

Publication Date: January 18, 2019

421 pages

4.25/5

Goodreads Synopsis

Emry is a Royal – a princess of Enlennd. As is tradition, she must have a knight at her side as her protector. The only way to appoint one is through The Trials. Her Challengers from the five regions of Enlennd must compete for the infamous title of Princess’s Knight. The problem, though, is that the people of Enlennd are split into two categories: Rioters and Royals. Finding the perfect knight may be the last of her worries. War is coming to Enlennd. 

Declan is a Rioter. An upriser. An anarchist. He mistrusts the Jewels – the sovereign family of Enlennd. Yet, he is offering himself up as a Challenger in The Trials. The Mistress, leader of the Rioters, has a mission for him. The first step is for him to become the Princess’s Knight. He is ready for the task, until he actually meets Emry and discovers that betraying her would be much more difficult than he’d thought. 

Review

Good afternoon, book friends! The author of this book reached out to me on Instagram to offer an ebook copy of Of Rioters and Royals in exchange for an honest review and Instagram feature. Opinions listed are my own.

Friends, I loved this book. Greye started off the book with a deep dive into the history of the world she built, and even though as I was reading it I was less than interested (history in books can be a bit dry), it became REALLY helpful as the book continued on. She has a really diverse magic system and you can tell she took the time to really think through the world and magic system.

Basically, your abilities are dependent on the color of your eyes – and not just normal eye colors. You’ve got Teal, Purple, Orange, Red, Black, and even Silver. You have a base color and can have flecks of other colors. Your base color is your main ability, but the flecks can give you lesser abilities. I think it’s a pretty neat idea and worked well in execution.

The world is a kingdom ruled by The Jewels, each member of the royal family is named after a precious jewel. Emry’s real name is Emerald, her sister is Citrine, and her father is Onyx (you get the gist). The Jewels have five regions in their kingdom, however one has been at odds with them for a long time. Anexia contains a sect of people called Rioters, who looks to dispose the royal family. They have a plan… to kidnap Princess Emerald by having Declan be a Challenger in what is called The Trials. The Trials are put on by the monarchs to find the ultimate protector for the Princess, and Declan looks to prove himself in the Rioters organization and to the mysterious Mistress who runs the group.

This book kept me on my toes for real. There was such a subtle level of foreshadowing, where you could kind of guess where the twists may lie without being too sure. It was a good balance, which is something I look for in a book. I like to be able to see twists coming, but it is very fun to be surprised. I picked up on most of the foreshadowing, but there was one point that really threw me for a loop (no spoilers) and I’m still thinking about it.

One critique I would have is about how the love story came about. It felt too fast and forced in the moment. You knew it was coming of course, but it went from 0-100 real quick without much transition or thought on either part. I also wish The Trials had been more of a central part of the book – I felt they ended pretty quickly. I get why, I just feel like I wanted more from it. For these reasons, I docked it down to a 4.25 read.

Overall, I would definitely suggest adding it to your Kindle TBR – and I will definitely be reading the rest of the trilogy to find out what happens to my precious Emry and Dec. Their characters were very well fleshed out, and if there’s one thing I love – it’s a strong, female character that is complemented by her man, not the other way around.

If you like magic, rebellions, twists and turns you don’t see coming, and epic love stories – this will be the book for you. Greye has a level of depth to her writing that makes you want to be a part of the world and story. I’m still trying to figure out what color I would want my eyes to be…

Until the next, my friends! (which is indeed a a quote from the book!)

eARC Review – Call It What You Want

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Title: Call It What You Want

Author: Brigid Kemmerer

Publisher: Bloomsbury YA/Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books

Publication Date: June 25, 2019

384 pages

5/5

Goodreads Synopsis

When his dad is caught embezzling funds from half the town, Rob goes from popular lacrosse player to social pariah. Even worse, his father’s failed suicide attempt leaves Rob and his mother responsible for his care.

Everyone thinks of Maegan as a typical overachiever, but she has a secret of her own after the pressure got to her last year. And when her sister comes home from college pregnant, keeping it from her parents might be more than she can handle.

When Rob and Maegan are paired together for a calculus project, they’re both reluctant to let anyone through the walls they’ve built. But when Maegan learns of Rob’s plan to fix the damage caused by his father, it could ruin more than their fragile new friendship…

This captivating, heartfelt novel asks the question: Is it okay to do something wrong for the right reasons?

Review

Hello book friends! Back again with another eARC review 🙂 Special shoutout to Netgalley and Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books for sending me this galley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Guys, I am obsessed with this book, I quite literally read it all in one day. Once I started, I just couldn’t put it down. I would die for Rob and Maegan and will stand in the way of anyone hurting them!!

CIWYW was such a cute, contemporary novel. This is the first title I’ve read by Brigid Kemmerer (I do own A Curse So Dark and Lonely but have yet to pick it up) and I am impressed. She officially has a fan for life. I read so many YA Fantasy novels that I forget how much I enjoy a good, contemporary novel. This book is written from two perspectives – Rob and Maegan’s. This is nice because you get a slice of the story from both points of views and in their own voices.

So let’s start off with the characters. I am a sucker for some lonely, messed up characters!! Rob and Maegan are struggling with very real, and very personal problems while trying to survive their senior year of high school. They are learning to navigate life as social rejects. Rob’s dad embezzled many in the town out of a whopping 7 million buckos and Maegan cheated on the SAT’s, which ended up invalidating 100 students scores. Both of them are hurting and have resulting trust issues of others from the backlash of their peers. They are thrown together to do a math project and neither of them are happy about it, they both would prefer to be alone. Rob and Maegan quickly learn to lean on each other, and begin to explore the idea of having close friends again.

There is a love story between two characters, an LGBTQIA character (no love story for him womp womp), and some sneaky Robin Hood themes. It begs the question – is it wrong to steal if you are using the items for good and not evil? It is a theme that is highly explored, and is an interesting concept.

Frankly, I loved CIWYW and have preordered a copy as a result of reading this. The love story is SO well done – reading Rob’s point of view was so important. The topic of respecting woman is brought up at one point, and Brigid did such a good job of presenting a teenage, male character that was interested physically in the girl – but acted (and thought) with nothing but respect for her wishes and comfort levels in intimate situations. It was honestly a breath of fresh air in a time when this topic is difficult to navigate.

Upon finishing CIWYW I almost immediately went back to reread a few scenes that stood out of me (okay, the romantic scenes – I’m a sucker, alright?!) and this is a huge sign for me that it is a five star read. The fact that I wanted to go back to relive big moments doesn’t happen with every title I pick up. Frankly, my sole gripe about this book is that there isn’t a follow up book to go with it! I need more Rob and Maegan!

In conclusion, pick this one up if you like a good high school romance, Robin Hood, real teenage angst and issues, and some well built characters. This would be a great beach read for the summer!

Enjoy, book friends!

eARC Review – Soul of the Sword (spoilers)

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Title: Soul of the Sword

Author: Julie Kagawa

Publisher: Harlequin Teen/Inkyard Press

Publication date: June 18th, 2019

304 pages

4.25/5

Goodreads Synopsis

One thousand years ago, a wish was made to the Harbinger of Change and a sword of rage and lightning was forged. Kamigoroshi. The Godslayer. It had one task: to seal away the powerful demon Hakaimono.

Now he has broken free.

Kitsune shapeshifter Yumeko has one task: to take her piece of the ancient and powerful scroll to the Steel Feather temple in order to prevent the summoning of the Harbinger of Change, the great Kami Dragon who will grant one wish to whomever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers. But she has a new enemy now. The demon Hakaimono, who for centuries was trapped in a cursed sword, has escaped and possessed the boy she thought would protect her, Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan.

Hakaimono has done the unthinkable and joined forces with the Master of Demons in order to break the curse of the sword and set himself free. To overthrow the empire and cover the land in darkness, they need one thing: the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers. As the paths of Yumeko and the possessed Tatsumi cross once again, the entire empire will be thrown into chaos.

Review

Is this an ‘I’m sorry I tried to assassinate you’ tea ceremony?

julie kagawa, soul of the sword

First off, HUGE thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Teen for providing me an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. The following opinions are mine alone. This was my first time having the opportunity to read and review a book that has yet to be officially released, and I will be forever grateful.

Now, onto the review. My babies Yumeko, Daisuke, and Okame are back and still getting into trouble. Now, they are tasked with saving Tatsumi from Hakaimono and ya know, saving the empire from the Master of Demons.

I enjoyed Soul a lot more than I did Shadow. I think I got more comfortable with the Japanese terms and language – along with what it means for the story line. On the flip side, the author added even more terms to this book than Shadow, which was a lot. She added at like 10 more types of demons/ghosts/undead spirits. My head was spinning trying to keep them straight.

Soul went the usual path I feel trilogies take, much of the plot line was spent setting up the third book. This can generally lead to a more boring book, but I felt that Soul traversed this ground well and never felt boring. She managed to set up the final book while also providing enough action and drama to keep you hooked through the book.

It crushed my heart that Tatsumi was so sad during this book! He just wanted to save Yumeko after she managed to elicit emotions in him for the first time in years – but he was powerless to help her through 99% of the book! And poor Yumeko had no concept that he had feelings for her (or that she had feelings for him) because she had no experience with this.

My favorite part? We have an LGBTQIA relationship sighting!! It took me COMPLETELY by surprise but I absolutely love it. Especially in a culture that is traditionally non supportive of such relationships and when one half of the couple is part of the noble, ruling family. But Daisuke was very forward thinking in pursuing the relationship and going for what he wants – regardless of their culture and the expectations of him. The romance melted my heart and I will ship Daisuke and Okame forever.

The few tiny aspects that took Soul below a 5 star read for me was the final fight scene, cliffhanger at the end, and the mysteriousness of Seigetsu. The final fight scene was very anticlimactic (though props to Yumeko for that fake out) and had me wanting more. I am just not too happy with how the book ended, and am hopeful that it is all sorted out in the final book. And who is this Seigetsu person acting like the puppet master? It’s starting to irritate me, because I can’t tell if he is a “good” or “bad” character. For these reasons, I couldn’t give it a whole 5 stars.

Soul of the Sword will be released tomorrow, June 18th so if you loved Shadow of the Fox, you should definitely go check it out!

Thanks for reading, friends 🙂

Book Review – Shadow of the Fox

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Title: Shadow of the Fox

Author: Julie Kagawa

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

409 pages

3.75/5

Goodreads Synopsis

One thousand years ago, the great Kami Dragon was summoned to grant a single terrible wish—and the land of Iwagoto was plunged into an age of darkness and chaos.

Now, for whoever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers, a new wish will be granted. A new age is about to dawn.

Raised by monks in the isolated Silent Winds temple, Yumeko has trained all her life to hide her yokai nature. Half kitsune, half human, her skill with illusion is matched only by her penchant for mischief. Until the day her home is burned to the ground, her adoptive family is brutally slain and she is forced to flee for her life with the temple’s greatest treasure—one part of the ancient scroll.

There are many who would claim the dragon’s wish for their own. Kage Tatsumi, a mysterious samurai of the Shadow Clan, is one such hunter, under orders to retrieve the scroll…at any cost. Fate brings Kage and Yumeko together. With a promise to lead him to the scroll, an uneasy alliance is formed, offering Yumeko her best hope for survival. But he seeks what she has hidden away, and her deception could ultimately tear them both apart.

With an army of demons at her heels and the unlikeliest of allies at her side, Yumeko’s secrets are more than a matter of life or death. They are the key to the fate of the world itself.

Review

It is very hard to be human, little fox. Even the humans themselves don’t do a great job of it.

-julie kagawa, Shadow of the fox

Hello again friends! I read Shadow of the Fox as a library book because Harlequin Teen was kind enough to grant me an eARC of Soul of the Sword to review (which will be the next review I post!) so I obviously had to read Shadow first!

I knew absolutely nothing of this book going in, and didn’t even read the synopsis before beginning. Big mistake. I was so confused reading this in the beginning – the whole first chapter seems to introduce a main character… but then she dies… (which isn’t a spoiler because after further perusal I noticed that her death is mentioned in like, the first paragraph). But I was thrown when I read that. I definitely should have read the synopsis before just jumping into this one.

I ended up liking this book, but it took me a good while to get into it. It was still sitting at a solid 3 stars when I was getting into the last quarter or so of the book. Here’s why:

  1. Generally, I don’t know much about Japanese culture. Honestly, my boyfriend had to tell me that this book was set in a Japanese culture. This is one area that I am woefully ignorant, which made it hard to understand. The writing is dense with traditional Japanese terms that hold little to no meaning for me, so I felt like I wasn’t understanding 2/3’s of the plot and characters. Not Julie Kagawa’s fault – but eye opening to see I need to read up and do some research. Over the length of the book, this got easier, but it took awhile.
  2. I could not connect with the main characters, Yumeko and Kage Tatsumi, for the longest time. The character arcs were a long time coming and they were very flat for most of the book. Yumeko is young & innocent, prone to mischief due to her fox like nature (she is half fox – can use magic – called in this world “kitsune”). Tatsumi is emotionless. Literally. It’s his job to be a walking robot slaying demons. Doesn’t exactly lend to an interesting or likable character. Frankly, he wanted to kill Yumeko immediately upon them meeting.

These two reasons made it so hard to get into this book. BUT – I will say they both improved by the very end of the book. I started to understand the terms more (thank you glossary in the back!) and the characters became more defined. You started to see more of Yumeko’s cleverness (even for a peasant girl) and Tatsumi’s desire to be more than a weapon for his clan. More characters are added to provide depth – and it begins to work. The gang gets in, and out, of a few jams and they really grow together as a #squad. Taiyo Daisuke could get it. Forreal.

But y’allll… that CLIFFHANGER. I’m so glad I had access to the next title because I was shook. This is a no spoiler review so that’s all I will say…

Overall, a few small things took this book lower than 5. I will be reading the second (in the trilogy) and reviewing it shortly. I will definitely continue on in this series, and I recommend it if Asian culture based books are your jam!

Thanks for reading, friends 🙂

Book Review – Once & Future

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Title: Once & Future

Authors: Amy Rose Capetta, Cori McCarthy

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (JIMMY Patterson Books)

336 pages

3/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

I’ve been chased my whole life. As a fugitive refugee in the territory controlled by the tyrannical Mercer corporation, I’ve always had to hide who I am. Until I found Excalibur.

Now I’m done hiding.

My name is Ari Helix. I have a magic sword, a cranky wizard, and a revolution to start.

When Ari crash-lands on Old Earth and pulls a magic sword from its ancient resting place, she is revealed to be the newest reincarnation of King Arthur. Then she meets Merlin, who has aged backward over the centuries into a teenager, and together they must break the curse that keeps Arthur coming back. Their quest? Defeat the cruel, oppressive government and bring peace and equality to all humankind.

No pressure.

Review

“It’s true, I’m no murderer. But I do have an impulse control problem. And a sword.”

– Amy rose capetta, Cori Mccarthy, Once & Future

Friends! I finished another book! I wanted to review Once & Future because it was not my favorite book. It sounds kind of backwards, but I don’t want my blog to just be me raving about books I loved. It will be of course, but I want to review all types of books, even those that don’t interest or thrill me as much.

So in terms of this book. There are pieces I love and pieces that just weren’t my jam. Overall, I’m not too surprised that this book didn’t thrill me, because retellings are all very hit and miss for me. Add in sci-fi (which is also hit and miss) and you have a recipe that I’m not too interested in making again.

PROS.

  1. Genderbent retelling. I love when classic stories are switched to be from a different perspective. The concept of King Arthur as a female is highly intriguing, which is part of the reason I picked up the book. I’m not super familiar with the King Arthur legend – I had to ask my boyfriend a few questions about it because I just wasn’t getting the references!
  2. LGBTQIA. This is a wonderful queer retelling. Now, I am a cis and straight person, so I don’t pretend to fully understand a solid queer rep – but I’d be willing to bet that this is up there with the best of the best. There is a quote that sticks with me… Merlin uses a he/him pronoun for a gender fluid character and he apologizes then says something to the affect of : I am from a society where historically gender assumptions are based on appearances and aesthetics – and Ari says EW! I loved that part, and it is so important in today’s society
  3. Merlin. In this book, Merlin is aging backwards – so he is a 17 year-old male in this retelling. He is also gay. I’ll repeat, we have a gay wizard. As a Harry Potter fan, I’ve been waiting for this day for SO LONG! All the representation! Anyway, the fact that he is aging backwards becomes a pretty important plot point as it inhibits his interactions with the rest of the knights.

CONS.

  1. I don’t care about King Arthur. As stated, I don’t know much about King A. However, I now know that I don’t really care about the legend, and honestly it bores me. I got through the book, but it was very *yawn* as a plot baseline. Also, the “evil” that needs to be vanquished is very reminiscent of the Capitol in The Hunger Games and it felt unoriginal.
  2. Gwen and Kay. Okay. If you haven’t read this book, look away because spoilers are coming. Gwen is Ari’s WIFE. Kay is Ari’s BROTHER. Ari becomes presumed dead, so they start banging each other?? EXCUSE ME? No, I don’t even care for Gwen’s “it was the closest way I could be with you”. Hellz no. BYE. AND THEN. She’s PREGNANT? And THEN… he DIES? Nope. You lost me. His death scene was very annoying – it wasn’t well explained and felt unnecessary.
  3. Dragons. That weren’t dragons. But were dragons? Still confused. Someone advise. Now, I love dragons. Dragons make every book better. But if you’re going to have dragons, call them dragons…. not taneens. Like, dragons exist in this world, but these dragon like things are not dragons. But are definitely dragons by description. Still confused.
  4. Space. I totally get the concept that Old Earth was overrun over the centuries and basically destroyed so everyone went to space and to live on planets. Got it. Totally could happen. But why is space so… cliche? Like a moon that is basically Vegas? And there is conveniently a planet that is bass ackwards enough to be Arthurian? Like, literally modeled after King Arthur’s time? And the random chick Ari loves is the queen? – Y’all, I get that this is a cycle of life and Merlin keeps coming back to run through the same basic story line – but some originality would be nice, and less obvious coincidences.

Okay, that was a lot of words. I have a lot of feelings, okay?!? I will read the sequel when it is released in 2020 regardless, and I’m sure I’ll review it. I’m just glad I didn’t spend money on this book and read it through the library. It was not my jam, but that’s okay! If you love retellings and sci-fi with some lovely queer rep, this will be the book for you! It was written well, I will say that.

Happy reading, friends!

Book Review – LEGEND (spoilers!)

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Title : LEGEND

Author : Nicole Conway

Publisher : Month9Books

355 pages

Rating : 4/5

Goodreads Synopsis

In a war of gods and tyrants, the will of the dragonrider must never falter.

Captured and tortured by the brutal tyrant, Argonox, Reigh’s worst fears have now been realized. Argonox has successfully twisted his mysterious dark power for a truly evil purpose—reanimating the long-deceased legendary dragonrider, Beckah Derrick, and her monstrous king drake. But Argonox’s cruelty won’t end there, and Reigh fears the worst is yet to come. Rescue is unlikely as the Tibrans prepare to make their final strike, poised to break Maldobar’s ranks of proud dragonriders once and for all.

With many of its cities already captured by the Tibran Empire, all hope now rests with Jaevid, Princess Jenna, Phillip, and their mismatched band of dragonrider allies to lead the last stand and save their kingdom. Even in such frightful times, Jaevid may find he still has a few old friends ready to take up their weapons and stand at his side again. But facing down Beckah is perhaps the one thing that might break Jaevid’s resolve. Can he really strike down the woman he used to love in order to save the kingdom?

One final battle will decide the fate of our heroes. Can the strength dragonrider prevail once again? Or will the Tibran Empire become Maldobar’s new legacy?

Review

*ebooks received in exchange for an honest review*

Friends! I’m here today to talk about the third book in the Dragonrider Legacy trilogy! I received all 3 ebooks from Month9Books for free in exchange for an honest review of the the third book, LEGEND, along with my participation in a Bookstagram tour. Many thanks to Month9Books for this opportunity 🙂

I’m going to focus on the third book for this review, so if you haven’t read the first two – look away and go get the first 2 books if you don’t want spoilers! Overall, if you like dragons, dark magic, and overthrowing tyrannical, invading overlords in bloody battles – this book series may be for you! I enjoyed the series and gave all 3 books 4 stars.

LEGEND is the epic conclusion to Reigh’s journey. Sadly, most of the book is not told from his perspective – which I found mildly strange. However, as he was a captive of the aforementioned tyrannical, invading overlord I guess it makes sense – I just wanted more Reigh in my life, along with his adorably naive cockiness! Overall, the book provided a nice ending for all characters. Reigh is acknowledged as a Prince by his father, the King, and he continues to get to know his other siblings. There’s a few good battle scenes, Jaevid does pretty awesome, demigod-like tricks and of course, they defeat the bad guy.

It killed my heart that Jaevid’s long lost love was brought back to a semblance of life to haunt him in the middle, but my heart swelled when his deal with Clysiros brought her back for good! And that ENDING. WITH KIRAN??? UGH my heart. Reigh so deserved it. I loved that he didn’t ask for any conditions in the deal, and that Jaevid thought of it for him – so considerate, and showed that Reigh really just wanted the bad guys to be gone for the good of Maldobar and Luntharda.

One critique, I wanted more closure for Reigh and Enyo. Will they stay together? Does she visit him in Maldobar? Do they ever get married?? What happened to Jenna and Phillip? Basically, I need answers. I feel like there was a lot of good closure in this series but I ALWAYS WANT MORE! Especially when love stories are involved – I want to know everything about their hopefully now mundane lives!!

I knocked this down one star because a decent bit of it was a confusing. The writing seemed a bit disjointed at times, and I felt that some transitions were lacking. Some major events occurred without enough buildup or explanation, in my opinion. HOWEVER, I would continue to read in this realm and I’ve heard (from Goodreads) that there’s a prequel series where I can read about my boy Jaevid’s first war and discovering he is the lapiloque – definitely intrigued!

OVERALL. We have dragons, war, dark magic, unconditional love – AND some pretty decent characters. Nicole Conway weaves a good mixture of those highly desirable fantasy traits that will keep you reading. I recently won a copy of Scales by Nicole Conway in a Storygram Tours giveaway, so I’m glad I have the opportunity to continue reading her work.

Happy reading friends!

Book Review – The Devouring Gray

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Title : The Devouring Gray

Author : Christine Lynn Herman

Publisher : Titan Books

368 pages

Rating : 4/5

Goodreads Synopsis

On the edge of town a beast haunts the woods, trapped in the Gray, its bonds loosening…

Uprooted from the city, Violet Saunders doesn’t have much hope of fitting in at her new school in Four Paths, a town almost buried in the woodlands of rural New York. The fact that she’s descended from one of the town’s founders doesn’t help much, either—her new neighbours treat her with distant respect, and something very like fear. When she meets Justin, May, Isaac, and Harper, all children of founder families, and sees the otherworldly destruction they can wreak, she starts to wonder if the townsfolk are right to be afraid.

When bodies start to appear in the woods, the locals become downright hostile. Can the teenagers solve the mystery of Four Paths, and their own part in it, before another calamity strikes?

Review

So, my apologies for not having a picture of this book that I took myself. I was so excited to get my library books back on time today that I forgot to take a photo first! Total fail, I’ll do better next time y’all. Anyhow, I wasn’t going to let that setback keep me from reviewing this beautiful book!

The Devouring Gray is a solid book that has all the things I am drawn to in YA Fantasy books. You’ve got this group of young characters with the weight of the world on their shoulders… all while still being in high school. They all have troubled pasts or troubled presents and have a connection to each other – they must work together to save their town from the monster in the Gray. Next, you’ve got a corrupt town and a group of adults who are frankly terrible and need to go somewhere quickly. Of COURSE the kids are the only sane one’s in the whole town of Four Paths. Lastly, it’s got a town with rich history, customs, and most importantly – MAGIC!

FOUR PATHS. Basically, a long while ago four people came across a town with a monster terrorizing it. They fought the monster and took some of it’s powers, banishing it to the “Gray”. The four youngsters are all descendants of the original four who saved the town – called “founders”. The town “worships” (doesn’t apply to everyone – in comes RISING ACTION!) them, as the descendants continue to patrol the town and fend off the Gray. The one catch is not every descendant gets powers. They just complete a ritual – each family has a different one. Those who fail – generally die. In the book, the Gray is becoming stronger and the founders are becoming weaker – the four main characters must work together to weaken it once and for all.

CHARACTERS. Justin, Harper, Isaac, and Violet. All founders, different families. Harper hates Justin for a past issue, Justin holds firmly onto the guilt of what he did to Harper. Both Justin & Harper failed their rituals*. Isaac has more power than he can control, and this gets him into trouble. Violet moved to Four Paths with her mother completely unaware of her heritage – but she quickly learns, and is less than impressed. They all have a good character arc, decent back stories, and will pull at the heartstrings.

THE ADULTS. OK. Look. I get it that we adults think we’re all that and a bag of chips, but honestly these kids are smarter than the adults. Justin’s mom Augusta is the Sheriff of Four Paths, but has a power that no one knows about because it would lead to SEVERE distrust if people knew. She would NOT have any power in the town if they had any clue what she’s been doing to them. She runs the place as if she is judge, jury, AND executioner and it is ANNOYING. She can seriously leave and wouldn’t be missed. Then Harper’s dad is part of a group that is trying to overthrow Augusta – but also has a much darker mission. Again, cue STUPIDITY. They almost got their damn selves killed. SMH. But I digress.

CRITIQUE. I generally LOVED this book. I was on the edge of my seat in the beginning because this type of book really is my YA bread and butter. BUT, there were parts that were hard to understand and weren’t explained super well – basically the whole climax scene. Also, the cliffhanger was good, but not GREAT. Give me a cliffhanger that makes me NEED the next book pronto mucho. The Devouring Gray leaves you with unanswered questions and a definite opening for the sequel, but I’m not feverishly refreshing the author’s Instagram page for release updates. For these reasons, I docked it one star – 4/5.

Book Review – Daughter of the Pirate King

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Title : Daughter of the Pirate King

Author : Tricia Levenseller

Publisher : Feiwel Friends

311 pages

Rating : 4.5/5

Goodreads Synopsis

There will be plenty of time for me to beat him soundly once I’ve gotten what I came for.

Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map—the key to a legendary treasure trove—seventeen-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship.

More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the map: her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate, Riden. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.

Review

“Lass, you’ve the face of an angel but the tongue of a snake.” 
― Tricia Levenseller, Daughter of the Pirate King

Hi all! I finished this quick read this past weekend (trying to get to all of my library books before they are due back, yikes!). I’ve seen this title on Bookstagram a few times, but not super often. I honestly only grabbed it from the library for 3 reasons:

  1. I like the author. I read Warrior of the Wild a little while ago and loved it, so I wanted to give her other books a try. I knew Daughter of the Siren Queen came out semi-recently, so I knew if I liked it I could easily get to the next one.
  2. It looked short. I normally go for really long and meaty books, but when I was perusing the library I wanted to get some quick and easy reads to break up some of the more extensive books I have on my TBR.
  3. I saw it on Bookstagram. I wasn’t invested enough to buy it, but that’s what libraries are for.

So as you can see, I picked this one up for pretty simple reasons. I really enjoyed it though! The characters were likable (mostly) and the plot was good, if not outstanding. Like I said, I picked this for it’s simplicity, not to spend weeks on it.

Let’s start with our main characters – Alosa and Riden. It becomes apparent quickly that we’re going to have a romance between these two. Like it’s so obvious that I’m not even classifying this as a spoiler. They have an instant curiosity towards each other because Riden seems to have Alosa figured out, and she isn’t used to that. He is smart, insightful, and he calls her on her BS. In return, Alosa gives him everything she has in her Vault of Sarcasm and Snark (I have one of these, but hers is MUCH better). She loves to rile him up and get into his head – cue some serious sexual tension. It’s a pretty easy back and forth in the beginning as the plot is being laid out, but it becomes more prevalent and obvious as it continues. During the main CONFLICT part at the end, they become much closer in order to set it up for the next book.

I gave this one a 4.5/5 stars because it hit the spot for me. I’ve seen some reviews where people hated it, and come on now we are never all going to agree on a book. I liked it for the same reasons that people hate it. If you’re looking for an in-depth, high/epic fantasy novel that will keep you entertained for hours and salivating for more, maybe pick up a different book. If you want something more on the light and breezy side, try this one on for size.

I did knock it down by .5 stars for a few reasons, but one major one. TRIGGER WARNING –

There is a scene in the book where Alosa is on the brink of being sexually assaulted. She is grappling with another pirate and it does NOT go very far, however it is traumatic for her a bit and can be triggering for readers. Riden is present while this is happening but chooses to stay out of it. In his words, he thought she could handle herself and wouldn’t appreciate him stepping in to take care of something she was fully capable of. OKAY YES Riden, Alosa doesn’t exactly give off “damsel in distress” vibes (I mean, she’s a trained killer come on?) but friend, let’s help my girl out. Honestly, he mostly just wanted her to kill the other pirate so he didn’t have to and get in trouble with the Captain, aka his brother.

So, this scene was a major draw back for me for that reason, so I couldn’t give it a full five stars. However, still worth the read and I will be picking up Daughter of the Siren Queen on my next library trip.

Happy reading!

Book Review: The Queen’s Resistance (spoilers!)

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Title : The Queen’s Resistance

Author : Rebecca Ross

Publisher : Harper Teen

480 pages

Rating : 5/5

Goodreads Synopsis

The highly anticipated sequel to The Queen’s Rising!

Finally, Brienna is a mistress of knowledge and is settling into her role as the daughter of Davin MacQuinn, a disgraced lord who returned to Maevana to reclaim his house. Though she’d just survived a revolution, one that will finally return a queen to the throne, she faces another difficult challenge. She must prove herself trustworthy to the MacQuinns. But as Queen Isolde Kavanagh’s closest confidant, she’ll have to balance serving her father’s house as well as her country. And then there’s Cartier, a wholly separate but desirable factor in her new life.

Aodhan Morgane, formerly known as Cartier Évariste, is adjusting to the stark contrast between his pre-rebellion life in Valenia as a master of knowledge and his current one as the lord of a fallen house. During his castle’s restoration, he discovers a ten-year-old boy named Tomas, whose past and parentage are a complete mystery. So when Cartier’s former pupil Brienna is as taken with Tomas as he is, he lets his mind wander—what if he doesn’t have to raise him or his house alone?

As the Lannon trial rapidly approaches, Brienna and Cartier must put their feelings aside to concentrate on forging alliances, executing justice, and ensuring that no one interferes with the queen’s coronation. But resistance is rumbling among the old regime’s supporters, who are desperate to find a weakness in the rebels’ forces. And nothing makes a person more vulnerable than deep-seated love.

Review


“If you were a storm, I would lie down and rest in your rain. If you were a river, I would drink from your currents. If you were a poem, I would never cease to read you. I adore the girl you once were, and I love the woman you have become.” 
― Rebecca Ross, The Queen’s Resistance

I received The Queen’s Rising in a ShelfLove Crate monthly subscription box and fell in love with Rebecca Ross’ writing style. It flows so naturally and is so… creamy. I know that’s a weird adjective to use to describe writing, but it is just so smooth and effortless. It’s like she pulled words out of her brain seamlessly without even trying. I’m not doing a good job of describing this… so ya’ll will have to just trust and check her out on your own!

Now, I received a finished copy of The Queen’s Resistance for free from Harper Teen (thanks, ya’ll!) – and I couldn’t be more grateful. First off, I was dying to get my hands on the sequel because ORIGINALLY TQR was going to be a stand alone novel. It totally could have been, but having more closure is NEVER a bad thing in my mind. Write ALL the books folks! I will continue to buy them and read them and love them. TQR ended with everything wrapped up, but The Queen’s Resistance brought a new level of depth to not only the world but the characters.

So, if you haven’t read The Queen’s Rising you should turn back now. Honestly, unless you never ever plan on reading it. I will be talking some major spoilers hear so last chance to run away!

Let’s start off with the current events. We have Lannon now deposed as King of Maevana and Queen Isolde is trying to reunite a broken country. Not an easy feat. She has the backing of her tried and true lords, but they must go out and convince the other lords that the Kavanaghs should be on the throne once more. This includes convincing Lannon’s allies, which is nigh impossible. But they try anyway! Brienna is staying with the MacQuinn’s as Davin’s adopted daughter, and Cartier is now Lord Aodhan Morghane (but Brienna will only ever see him as Cartier). The gang sets out to convince the country of Isolde’s worthiness, but trouble ensues when Brienna is proposed to by a rival Lord’s son, and a Lannon descendant finds his way to Cartier to beg for help. The intrigue with Tomas was beautiful, and it wasn’t until the end when you found out his true intentions. Brienna is kidnapped and rescued at the last moment. It’s all very exciting.

Character wise, I adored being able to really flesh out Brienna and Cartier. They spend the whole book having a very PG dalliance while trying to sort out their respective futures and identities. I really appreciated Cartier’s POV being added to this book so you could get a glimpse behind the scenes with him. He really went through an admirable character arc and it was nice to get more detail. And that ENDING! – ugh, my heart.

Last thing I will say, when Cartier tries for Brienna’s hand in marriage I near cried. That speech he gave to Brienna is a part of the book I will read over and over forever. It’s everything you would want your true love to not only say, but feel towards you.

Overall, I fell in love with Rebecca Ross’ writing with this duology and will quite literally read just about anything she publishes – even if it is only her grocery list. Go read this, now!