Tag Archive | Fantasy

REVIEW: The Shadow Queen by C. J. Redwine

Dec27

This review is seriously overdue for my blog. Wow.
Well, consider this promo for the series before the sequel comes out in early 2017!

If you like badass heroines and fairy tales and retellings this one is for you.

 

The Shadow Queen by C. J. Redwine

Series: A Ravenspire Novel

Read: August 30 – September 6, 2016

Format: Ebook (Kindle)

My Book Rating: 5 Stars

Publisher: Scholastic / Balzer + Bray

Release Date: February 16, 2016

Genre: YA Fairy Tale Retelling

 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.

In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart.

But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.

REVIEW

I haven’t read many of fairy tale retellings, but those that I have read I’ve loved, and The Shadow Queen is no exception!

In this retelling of Snow White and The Huntsman we follow Princess Lorelai in the role of Snow White. She’s no damsel in distress though, when she fled her wicked stepmother, she took to learning to fight and defend herself.

The huntsman in this story is Prince Kol. He’s from a neighboring kingdom of dragon shifters and desperate to save his kingdom from the invading ogre army. So desperate he’d do anything, including making a deal with the evil queen. A deal that goes very wrong.

I loved the chemistry between Lorelai and Kol. On their own they’re great, both strong and willing to do anything for their people. But together? *Swoon* Their relationship had a few plot twists that kept things from getting boring.

I loved the magic in this book. The incantations were really interesting and the powers Lorelai and Queen Irina possessed were really cool. Especially Irina’s apples! And everything, including the rivers, trees, and earth, having a ‘heart’ for their magic to call upon for assistance. The authors choice to make Kol from a dragon shifter people was also especially awesome and as soon as I read that I knew I’d be hooked on the story.

There was never a dull moment in this book and I was eager to keep reading (or listening to my Kindle read the book aloud to me at work!)

I think those who love fairy tale retellings will appreciate this rendition. It had all of the staples of Snow White—evil witch, runaway princess, magic, apples, handsome prince, huntsman, hearts—but with the authors own unique magic twists. Plus there are dragon people. How cool is that?

Go buy this book now and read it. Seriously.

 Psst! This is also a stand along series – check out the cover below for the next book ‘The Wish Granter’ which releases Feb 2017!


Get The Shadow Queen here:

Amazon | Nook | iBooks | Kobo

~ Add to Goodreads ~

 

 

Preorder the sequel, The Wish Granter, here:

Amazon | Nook | iBooks | Kobo

~ Add to Goodreads ~

 

 

QUOTES

 

“Mirror, mirror in my hand, show me the state of Eldr’s land.”

“Why does it have to rhyme?” Trudge muttered.

 

Only a miracle would save him now, but miracles didn’t happen in Ravenspire.

Miracle’s didn’t happen, but magic did.

 

He shook his head, trying to think, to remember, but his dragon heart blazed within him, begging for blood and fire.

 

He was fire. His chest burned with every breath, and only the girl’s heart would make it better.

 

“No! I mean…we’ll be fine. We’re just going to talk.”

Gabriel snorted. “That’s what we called it in my day too.”

 

You make me want to break one of your ground rules every time you look at me like this.

 

Did she love him? What would it cost her if she did.

 

“…The strength of my heart is the only thing standing between you and total destruction.”

 

“You don’t go into battle because you’re sure of victory. You go into battle because it’s the right thing to do.”

REVIEW: Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones

Dec16

Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones

Read: December 1 – 6, 2016

Format: ARC ebook

My Book Rating: 3.5 Stars

Publisher: Thomas Dunne / St. Martin’s Press

Release Date: February 7, 2017

Genre: YA/NA Fantasy

 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Beware the goblin men and the wares they sell.

All her life, nineteen-year-old Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, mysterious Goblin King. He is the Lord of Mischief, the Ruler Underground, and the muse around which her music is composed. Yet, as Liesl helps shoulder the burden of running her family’s inn, her dreams of composition and childish fancies about the Goblin King must be set aside in favor of more practical concerns.

But when her sister Käthe is taken by the goblins, Liesl journeys to their realm to rescue her sister and return her to the world above. The Goblin King agrees to let Käthe go—for a price. The life of a maiden must be given to the land, in accordance with the old laws. A life for a life, he says. Without sacrifice, nothing good can grow. Without death, there can be no rebirth. In exchange for her sister’s freedom, Liesl offers her hand in marriage to the Goblin King. He accepts.

Down in the Underground, Liesl discovers that the Goblin King still inspires her—musically, physically, emotionally. Yet even as her talent blossoms, Liesl’s life is slowly fading away, the price she paid for becoming the Goblin King’s bride. As the two of them grow closer, they must learn just what it is they are each willing to sacrifice: her life, her music, or the end of the world.

REVIEW

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

 

First – look at this cover. Is this not a stunningly beautiful cover? Wow. I want to frame it and hang it on the wall. I love this cover so much. This cover is the reason I wanted to read this book, well, that and the fact that it’s also about the Goblin King.

Now let’s talk for a moment about the 1986 movie Labyrinth staring the fabulous David Bowie and a young Jennifer Connelly. This book is not at all like the movie, aside from the connection with the Goblin King, the taken sibling, the midnight balls, the oubliette, and those weird hand things. You remember that scene, right? “Up or down?” Anyway, that sounds like a lot in common, but it’s really not. It’s the ideas, but the way they’re weaved in the book is very different from the film.

So, back to the book. First, I believe this is billed as a YA. There is a LOT of sex in a book for teens! I would actually classify this more as a new adult novel, or a YA/NA crossover at best. I would not let my kids read this book until they were 17 at the earliest, and even then if they were mature enough to handle it. As an avid adult YA reader, it was fine for me.

This story takes place in 18th century Bavaria and follows Elisabeth aka Liesl, the 19 year old daughter of an inn keeper. She is the oldest, but unlike her younger sister Kath, she is not beautiful, but plain. She is as talented as her little brother Joseph, if not more, but she is a girl, and therefor her talents have largely gone ignored.

S. Jae-Jones has proven that she has a voice to be heard with this book. The prose is hauntingly beautiful. I felt like I was taking this journey with Liesl/Elisabeth. I felt what she felt, I saw/heard what she did. I fell into this world of music and folklore and got lost. This book made me feel like I knew something about playing the violin, when in actuality I have nothing more than a couple of months piano lessons under my belt.

Despite the beautiful prose, this book dragged for me. At times there were pages and pages of nothing happening. Repetition of Liesl/Elisabeth’s feelings and thoughts. This book is actually broken into sections and within Part I I wondered if anything would actually happen. And then it did. And it was fabulous. Part II was strange. Part III is where things got really weird and Liesl/Elisabeth began to act very out of character. I get that she’s changing on this journey, but it was odd. I didn’t like her much here. By the end, I mostly liked her again. Ultimately, this is the story of Elisabeth finding herself, and I think she succeeds.

I did love how vivid the characters were, even the Goblin King who is so shrouded in mystery, became real. I loved how protective Liesl/Elisabeth was of her siblings, especially her close relationship with Joseph.

I didn’t care much for how Liesl/Elisabeth and the Goblin King treated each other. It was obvious they each had strong feelings for the other, but neither expressed those feelings in a healthy way. It was very uncomfortable.

The end of this book is bittersweet. This is a very dark romance. There is no chance of a truly happy ending, no matter the outcome. I won’t tell you what happens, but I feel like the author ended this with the best possible outcome. And with a sequel due out in 2018, I wonder where that will lead us. And I wonder if it will be as many pages!

So, would I recommend this book? Eh…. It depends. This book is very long-winded, but the prose is utterly beautiful. If you like quick paced books, skip this one. If you don’t mind a book to take its sweet time getting from point A to point B, then you may enjoy this one.

Walking away from this book I really am conflicted. I’m still thinking about it two weeks later, which is something all authors want for their book! And if not for

the extremely slow pacing at times, I think I would have rated this book much higher. I’m curious to see what my friends think of this book, if any of them read it.
 

 
Wintersong releases February 7, 2017
Preorder Wintersong here

Amazon | Nook | iBooks | Kobo

~ Add to Goodreads ~

QUOTES

 

Will you mary me, Elisabeth? The little boy asked, and the little girl did not yet understand his question was not part of a game.

 

Time—like memory—was just another one of the Goblin King’s playthings, a toy he could bend and stretch at will.

 

Dangerous? Little Liesl had asked. Dangerous how?

Dangerous as a winter wind, which freezes the marrow from within, and not like a blade, which slashes the throat from without.

 

This was the Goblin King. The abductor of maidens, the punisher of misdeeds, the Lord of Mischief and the Underground. But was he also not the friend of my childhood, the confidante of my youth?

 

“Your sister,” he said, nodding toward Kathe in the crowd, “would prefer pretty enchantments to the stark ugliness of reality, I think.”

 

There was a grace to every line of his body; elegance was not only in his air, but in the way he moved. Even when he was unsure.

“I—I—“ He was flustered. I relished this bit of power over him, this ability to unsettle him as much as he unsettled me.

 

The surrounding forest was unfamiliar, lit with the otherworldly glow of starlight. The trees grew into twisted shapes, sculpted by centuries of wind—or a goblin-led hand. They grew as though striving to dance and roam free, only to be rooted fast and trapped by the earth beneath them.

 

“That sort of passion she inspires in me is all flash and no heat. I need an ember, Elisabeth, not a firecracker.”

 

He tastes like a winter wind, but the heat of our mouths warms him up, and then everything is languid, humid, hot, like still summer night.

 

I want to lie with the Devil and would do so again and again, just to feel like this.

 

“Go to bed, Elisabeth,” he said. “You’re drunk.”

 

I knew who I was not: my sister. Without my sister to define me, I was unsteady, unstable. I had lost the crutch that propped me up.

 

REVIEW: Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

Dec8

truthwitchTruthwitch by Susan Dennard

Series: Witchlands #1

Read: September 14 – November 6, 2016

Format: Hardback

My Book Rating: 4.5 Stars

Publisher: Tor Teen

Genre: YA Fantasy

 

ABOUT THE BOOK

In a continent on the edge of war, two witches hold its fate in their hands.

Young witches Safiya and Iseult have a habit of finding trouble. After clashing with a powerful Guildmaster and his ruthless Bloodwitch bodyguard, the friends are forced to flee their home.

Safi must avoid capture at all costs as she’s a rare Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lies. Many would kill for her magic, so Safi must keep it hidden – lest she be used in the struggle between empires. And Iseult’s true powers are hidden even from herself.

In a chance encounter at Court, Safi meets Prince Merik and makes him a reluctant ally. However, his help may not slow down the Bloodwitch now hot on the girls’ heels. All Safi and Iseult want is their freedom, but danger lies ahead. With war coming, treaties breaking and a magical contagion sweeping the land, the friends will have to fight emperors and mercenaries alike. For some will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

REVIEW

TRUTHWITCH is a book I was fortunate enough to win a hardback autographed copy of.

The book follows two young woman in the Witchlands, Safi and Iseult, who are both gifted with magical powers. Iseult is a Threadwitch and Safi is a Truthwitch.

Even after finishing the book, I’m still a little confused as to what exactly being a Threadwitch entails. The author basically throws the reader into the story with no explanations – which I love! – but, and I rarely if ever say this, I think the story could have benefited from a little info dumping.

If you read this book, be prepared to not really understand how this world works in the beginning. Like I said, we’re thrown in, and at first I though I was actually going to dislike the book. And then the plot moved forward, things became more clear, I became more connected to these characters, and I stopped caring that I didn’t understand some of the witchy things.

I love the characters in this book. LOVE them! Safi and Iseult are Threadsisters and would do absolutely ANYTHING for one another. That’s a beautiful thing. Their friendship actually reminded me a bit of Rose and Lissa from Richelle Mead’s VAMPIRE ACADEMY series. They too had a magical bond where they would do anything for the other. One girl more serious; the other impulsive. Now, though there are similarities in my eyes of these two sets of characters, they are not carbon copies. I think they’d all be good friends though. There is definite character growth from start to finish as well, especially with Safi.

And of course, what do I love most in my teen novels? A little bit of romance. And let me tell you, the sparks were FLYING in this book. You could cut the sexual tension with a knife! I need more of this couple in my life, I totally ship them.

As for the ending, this is a cliffhanger done right. The main task – story arc if you will – comes to a conclusive end, and there’s a helluva cliffhanger to keep you aching for more. Is it January yet so I can get my hands on the sequel, WINDWITCH???

So, should you read this book? YES! If you enjoy strong characters that drive the story forward and grow and change throughout the book. If you like a unique magic system. If you like sizzling sexual tension. Read. This. Book. Go. Now. Book two comes out around my birthday in early January 2017, and I’ll probably be gifting it to myself.

Get the Truthwitch here:

Amazon | Nook | iBooks | Kobo

~ Add to Goodreads ~

 

Preorder Windwitch here:

Amazon | Nook | iBooks | Kobo

~ Add to Goodreads ~

QUOTES

“Why always me? There are a thousand shoulders for a gull to crap on, but they always pick me!”

“Stay back, I’ll handle this!”
Safi ignored him—he was clearly an idiot.

Unambitious? Lacking initiative? Perhaps that was true when it came to living in a frozen castle amidst a world of power-hungry nobility and ever-watchful Hell-Bards, but not when it came to a life with Iseult.

“Allow me to serve you, Safiya. We have spent too many years apart.”
“And I have spent too many hours between meals.” A glare. “Give it to me now, Polly, or I shall castrate you with a fork.”
Now his eyes bugged. “By the Twelve, have you heard the things you say?”

Safi estimated at least fifty men. Probably twice that, since she was gull crap when it came to math.

She refused to be what Eron—or anyone else—expected her to be. She was stuck in this body, with this mind, but it didn’t mean she couldn’t reach outside. It didn’t mean she couldn’t change.

“You don’t like me,” Iseult said. “And you don’t have to. Just remember that if you ever hurt Safiya fon Hasstrel, then I will cut you to pieces and I will feed you to the rats.”

“I’ll strip with you,” Safi offered, grabbing for her shirttails. “If anyone shows up”—the shirt slid over her face, muffled her words—”I’ll dance around and distract them.”

“I’ll always follow you, Safi, and you’ll always follow me. Threadsisters until the end.”

REVIEW: Hazel’s Promise by Emily Larkin

Oct25

Hazel’s Promise by Emily Larkin

Series: The Fey Quartet #2

Read: September 1-14, 2016

Format: Print Book

My Book Rating: 4.5 Stars

Genre: Fantasy Romance

 

ABOUT THE BOOK

A lighthearted and magical tale of adventure, true love, and disguises.

Hazel Miller gave her heart to a man who went off to earn his fortune, but he’s been gone longer than she thought he would. A lot longer.

Dressed as a boy, Hazel sets out to find her lover, but the roads of Medieval England are fraught with peril. When a ragged stranger risks his life to protect her, how can she refuse his company?

Hazel’s quest is about to get complicated—and at its end, she may discover that her true love isn’t the man she has waited ten years for.

This is Hazel’s tale.

REVIEW

I received a free copy of this book via Goodreads First Reads.

 

At only 74 pages, I had some reservations about this novella. I often find that authors can’t develop realistic characters that the reader can understand and identify with. That was not the case with Hazel’s promise.

On his way back to the isolated village in which he lives, Tam passes a young man on his way out. Upon second glance, he realizes the young man is actually a young woman in disguise. Despite longing to arrive home, he turns his cart around and follows her.

The young woman is Hazel, who has just received a wish granted by the faeries. When she was just a young girl she fell hard for a nam named Drewet. He promised to come back for her, once he’d made his fortune away from their little village in Dapple Valley. But Drewet never came back. Using her faeries wish, Hazel is able to locate him and sets off to find him. This is when she meets Tam.

Tam proclaims himself Hazel’s chaperone and accompanies her the rest of the way to Drewet. Along the way they get to know one another and their chemistry is hard to deny. As predicted, by the end of the book Hazel has given up on Drewet and realizes she’s fallen in love with Tam.

I liked the characters in this story. Tam is kind and chivalrous. He isn’t described as being exceedingly good looking, but that doesn’t matter to Hazel because his personality shines. Meanwhile Hazel is quite pretty, at least in the eyes of Tam. She’s also headstrong and determined. When she makes a promise, she keeps it. She’s loyal to a fault and a little naive.

The charming way in which this book is written, it feels like it’s aimed at a younger audience, however some of the content is definitely not. It’s by no means erotica, but there are a couple spicy scenes.

In the end, this little story left me with a smile. I would gladly read the rest of this quartet. And at only 99 cents a pop, I may just do that.


Get the Truthsong here:

Amazon | Nook | iBooks | Kobo

~ Add to Goodreads ~

QUOTES

 

“The debt you owe is much smaller than you think, Hazel Miller…” The smile became speculative. “I slew your dragons; I would be content with a kiss.”

 

“I’d rather live in a one-roomed cottage with you than a manor house with any other man.”

 

REVIEW: Truthsong by Elisabeth Hamill

Sep1

Truthsong by Elisabeth Hamill

Series: Songmaker #2

Read: 2015

Format: Uncorrected Draft

My Book Rating: 4 Stars

Genre: YA Fantasy

 

ABOUT THE BOOK

When Telyn’s song magic freed ancient spirits of the Wood, it also awakened a long-slumbering evil. Now she and her beloved Mithrais must battle a spreading shadow that ignites crippling fear, and deal with the unexpected consequences of magic’s return.

More danger arrives with a royal delegation to the forest realm, sweeping Telyn back into court intrigue and the sights of a murderous lord. Mithrais may be forced to choose between his service to the Wood or the obligations of his royal blood.

As Telyn’s bond with Mithrais grows, she is torn between her love for him and the freedom of a wandering bard’s life. But when dark magic plunges the Wood into chaos, she must balance the two halves of her heart—or the Fates may take Mithrais from her forever.

REVIEW


Truthsong brings us back to the world of Telyn and Mithrais; music and magic.

Telyn is a bard, exiled from court. Mithrais is her lifemate, a ranger of an ancient order. Together they helped bring magic back to the world, awakening the tree spirits who were dormant and dying for so long. But with good comes evil. A dark presence has taken hold deep in the woods. Together the pair must work to discover what this evil is, and try to stop it.

While I didn’t enjoy this book quite as much as Song Magick, it is absolutely worth reading. Especially for fans of high fantasy. There is magic, romance, court intrigue, assassination attempts, and dragons. Yep, dragons.

Telyn loves Mithrais, there’s no doubt. But she’s conflicted. She longs for the life of a traveling bard, but being tied to Mithrais would mean putting down roots. Meanwhile Mithrais has his own conundrum, he is a ranger by birth and choice, but now he must face the possibility of having to give that life up for reasons I won’t give away.

I think what I love the most about this book is the tree spirits. They really are a character in and of themselves. They’re so much fun to read about. The dark presence is really cool too, and I can’t wait to read what happens next in book 3.

Ultimately, this is a book for fans of fantasy. If you don’t like fantasy novels, you’ll hate this book. If you expect a lot of lovey dovey romance, you’ll probably not enjoy this book as much as you’d like. BUT, if you like fantasy novels with magic and mystery and good and evil, then you should give this book a try. (But read Song Magick first! You’ll probably be lost if you don’t.)

P.S. There’s a Goodreads giveaway going on for this book HERE!

 

NOTE: I work for the publisher and designed the cover of this book. This in no way affects my rating and review. All thoughts are mine and do not reflect those of the publisher.

Get the Truthsong here:

Amazon | Nook | iBooks | Kobo | Print

~ Add to Goodreads ~

 

Catch up with book 1, Song Magick, here:

Amazon | Nook | iBooks | Kobo | Print

~ Add to Goodreads ~

QUOTES

Once trapped by an ancient spell, her magic and life force bought their freedom.

“All magic is dangerous.”

The dragon opened a maw full of deathly white teeth – and yawned.

“I’ve never been afraid of the dark. I am now. Something besides dragons woke here.”

He smiled at her with pride. “Be yourself, as always.”

He turned toward her and rose up on one elbow, pale eyes gleaming in the starlight.
“Another story of darkness defeated by love.”

His forehead touched hers, voice husky with emotion. “You led me out of the darkness. I am yours, body and soul.”

 

REVIEW: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

May30

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Series: The Raven Cycle #1

Read: May 14 – 25, 2016

Format: Hardcover

My Book Rating: 3 Stars

Genre: Paranormal / Fantasy Teen

 

I heard a lot of good things about this series so I had really high hopes when I began reading. I read Stiefvater’s book Shiver in the past and enjoyed it, though I didn’t love it. That ended up being the case with Raven Boys.

Basic premise: Daughter of a psychic (Blue) is told all her life that if she kisses her true love, he’ll die. So she doesn’t date or kiss boys. Ever. Meanwhile, a group of boys over at the prestigious Aglionby Prep school (aka raven boys) are on the hunt for some magical “ley line” which is supposedly going to lead the leader of the boys (Gansey) to some dead guy who will give him something he really wants. I didn’t really understand all the ley line talk.

Alright, so that’s that. The book starts out in Blue’s POV and I really liked her. She had a unique POV being the daughter of a psychic and living in a house full of other psychics as well. Meanwhile, she’s not even remotely psychic. All was going great, I was loving the book! Then….

We switch to Gansey’s POV and we’re inundated with talk of these ley lines. I was so confused. I was bored. I didn’t care. I just wanted to go back to Blue’s POV!

Finally after about ten chapters Blue and Gansey finally meet and the story REALLY starts. I did end up liking all of the boys by the end, there was a mystery surrounding one of the boys that was really eye opening once revealed. Had I not been bored so much in the beginning I’d be tempted to go back and re-read it just to look closer for the clues.

Finally the book ended. And it was…. Okay. I didn’t hate the ending, but at the same time I wasn’t left with a burning desire to read the next book. Chances are I will read the next book, but I’m not going to go out of my way to get my hands on it any time soon.

In all, this book was meh. There were good and interesting characters, but it took too long to get to know some of them so I didn’t really care what was happening to them, and what was happening to them was interesting, but… again, I just didn’t care.

I’m curious to see what other people thought of this book. I do think Ms. Stiefvater is very talented and has a lot of great ideas, I just haven’t found a book from her yet that really resonates with me and leaves me wanting more.

Quote worthy:

When it finally happened, when she finally saw him, it didn’t feel like magic at all. It felt like looking into the grave and seeing it look back at her.

 

Blue had two rules: Stay away from boys, because they’re trouble, and stay away from raven boys, because they were bastards.


He said, “I’ve always liked the name Jane.”

Blue’s eyes widened. “Ja—what? Oh! No, no. You can’t just go around naming people other things because you don’t like their real name.”

“I like Blue just fine,” Gansey said. “…However, I also like Jane.”

“I’m not answering to that.”

 

“Aquamarine is a wonderful color, and I won’t be made to feel bad for wearing it,” Gansey said.

 

“Blue. My name’s Blue Sargent.”

“Blair?”

“Blue.”

“Blaise?”

Blue signed. “Jane.”

“Oh, Jane! I thought you were saying Blue for some reason.”

GET THE BOOK

(At the time of this review, the ebook edition of this book is only $1.99)

Amazon | Nook | iBooks

Add to Goodreads

 

REVIEW: Heir to the Sky by Amanda Sun

May4

Heir to the Sky by Amanda Sun

Read: April 18-29, 2016

Format: ARC Print Book (Goodreads First Reads)

My Book Rating: 3 Stars

Genre: YA Fantasy

BLURB FROM GOODREADS:

As heir to a kingdom of floating continents, Kali has spent her life bound by limits—by her duties as a member of the royal family; by a forced betrothal to the son of a nobleman; and by the edge of the only world she’s ever known—a small island hovering above a monster-ridden earth, long since uninhabited by humans. She is the Eternal Flame of Hope for what’s left of mankind, the wick and the wax burning in service for her people, and for their revered Phoenix, whose magic keeps them aloft.

When Kali falls off the edge of her kingdom and miraculously survives, she is shocked to discover there are still humans on the earth. Determined to get home, Kali entrusts a rugged monster-hunter named Griffin to guide her across a world overrun by chimera, storm dragons, basilisks, and other terrifying beasts. But the more time she spends on earth, the more dark truths she begins to uncover about her home in the sky, and the more resolute she is to start burning for herself.

MY REVIEW:


I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via the Goodreads First Reads program.

 

This is my first Amanda Sun book, and I really wanted to love it. There are so many wonderful things about it.

  • Floating continents in the sky.
  • Monsters
  • Monster Hunters
  • Dragons
  • Royalty

And yet….. Something fell flat. It wasn’t that I didn’t like the book, I did enjoy the story, I just couldn’t get completely engrossed in it.

The story starts slowly, with Kali, the heir to Ashra—the floating world—alone in her favorite isolated place on her continent. We’re introduced to her BFF. We learn she is betrothed to a nobleman she feels nothing for. We learn that her people worship the Phoenix, who brought Ashra and the other islands to the sky. She sneaks off to the library and overhears talk from the elders that sounds bad. Blah blah blah.

Then she falls to the earth, and even that felt rushed. We know she’s going to survive, there couldn’t be a whole book told in first person if she didn’t survive. So then I thought, yeah! Here come the monsters! And we do see a couple monsters right away, but it was sort of anticlimactic. Then we meet Griffin, the monster hunter on earth, and… again, I waited for something big to happen, and though they did meet monsters, everything seemed so easy. (Yes, I know, Griffin has been hunting monsters all his life, but still! They’re killer monsters!) There was one particular monster scene (it’s in the water, I won’t say more) that was really awesome. Kali had a chance to really prove her worth there, and it was exciting and dangerous and I was eagerly flipping pages to see what happens. Then more stuff happens, then we get to the big finish.

I think what most prevent this book from being a WOW book for me was twofold.

  1. This book is in present tense. In most cases, I despise present tense. It feels so awkward to read in the present tense, I’m sure some authors use it to give a sense of urgency to the reader, but for me it feels forced. It took me a really long time to look past that in this book.

And…

  1. Most fantasy / dystopian / etc. YA books of today are not stand alone novels. In most cases they’re trilogies, giving time for a lot of world building and plot development. I really did like the world building in Heir to the Sky. In fact, I could easily picture what was happening, it was just enough detail for me. However, I think the plot could have been fleshed out more. There could have been more death defying challenges. The entire last section of the book, with the rebellion stuff, could have taken an entire book to really pull the reader into it and make us care about Ashra. Even when all was said and done, I think there’s room for another book with the aftermath, but maybe not.

This is still a good book, it’s just not a great book for me. I think younger teens would really enjoy it. Parents don’t need to worry about sex or language, there’s a kiss or two, but that’s it. And the violence is basically all monsters, and nothing graphic. So, I will hang onto this book for my daughter to read in a couple of years when she’s about 12 or 13.

 

 

MEMORABLE QUOTES

“I don’t have a chance to survive, but I refuse to die.”

 

“He looks the way I used to think of myself—invisible—before my fall and pathetic attempt at survival.”

 

“I am the wick and the wax. My life isn’t my own.”

 

 “I was ready to let myself burn for you. But now I burn for myself.”

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REVIEW: The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead

Apr8

ALERT: One day only – December 7, 2016 – This book is on sale EVERYWHERE for only $1.99!

Check it out on Kindle here: http://amzn.to/2gbq2Bq

All images borrowed from Richelle Mead’s Facebook fan page!

I’m skipping Friday Favorites today in lieu of posting my review of my favorite author, Richelle Mead’s, latest release, The Glittering Court. It’s all good though, because this book has instantly become one of my favorites!

The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead

Series: The Glittering Court #1

Read: April 5 – 7, 2016

Format: Ebook (Kindle)

My Book Rating: 5 Stars

Genre: YA Romance

 

This book! Be still my heart, this book!

Okay, so I’ll be honest, from the books description, I wasn’t sure I was going to like The Glittering Court. All of the comparisons to The Selection had me weary, because I really didn’t like that book very much. The early reviews weren’t looking all that good either. (But really, they were mostly complaining that this is labeled a fantasy, when it’s really not. It’s a fantasy world, but contains no fantasy elements like magic or dragons.) But you know what? I took a leap and preordered. On April 5, release day, I dove right in and ended up staying up until two am the night of April 7th finishing. #WorthIt

 

THIS BOOK IS AMAZING! Never again will I ever doubt Richelle Mead’s storytelling abilities. I will read anything and everything she writes.

 

If the TV shows Reign and When Calls The Heart had a baby, it would be The Glittering Court.

When the young Countess of Rothford is forced into an engagement with her “itchy” cousin, she panics. Taking a risky leap, she assumes the identity of her maid, Adelaide, and takes her place in The Glittering Court. The Glittering Court is basically a finishing school for young women of the lower castes. For a year they are trained to behave like noble women, and eventually are to be sent to the overseas to Adoria to wed the wealthy men who have made their fortunes in the new world.

The first half of the book takes place in the finishing school of The Glittering Court. Adelaide makes friends with her roommates, Tamsin and Mira, and ends up with an enemy in mean girl Clara. You’d think this school would be easy for her, considering she already excels at everything they’re teaching. However, in order to keep her true identity a secret, she has to purposely fail to avoid attention, which is sometimes easier said than done.

Along the way, the only person who knows her true identity is Cedric, the son of the man who co-owns The Glittering Court. Their relationship is tenuous at first, if she is caught they’ll both be in trouble. Big trouble. But along the way they become friends as well as partners in crime. Adelaide and Cedric partake in some not so legal activities, but as a reader I couldn’t help rooting for them, hoping they’d pull it off!

The second half of the book takes place in Adoria, the new world. Think of it as the wild frontier of America. Everything is new and dusty, men are staking their claim of land in search of gold, and taming the wild frontier.

As much as I love everything about the nobility, it was the second half of the book that won me over. Seeing Adelaide so out of her element in Adoria was great. And Cedric, poor pampered Cedric, such a good sport with where life leads him!

 

“Don’t you know that I’d lie with you in groves, under the light of the moon? That I’d defy the laws of gods and men for you?”

 

The romance was the best part of this book. It’s obvious from the beginning that Adelaide and Cedric are meant to be. I spent the whole book with my fingers crossed, hoping they could find a way to be together.

And the ending! Oh my, the ending! I can’t say much, except it opens the doors for the next book(s?) in this series, which I’ve heard will follow Adelaide’s friends.

 

“You need to stop this. Stop . . . Um, being a heretic.”

“It’s not something I can just stop being. It’s part of me.”

“They could kill you if you’re caught!”

 

Richelle also explores many themes in the book, weaving them seamlessly into a beautiful story I couldn’t put down. There’s the yearning for true love, and changing your fate to make your own destiny; religious persecution; friendship and betrayal; she even touches lightly on same-sex relationships.

Something that is very common in books these days, especially YA, is to end on a cliffhanger and keep the audience waiting for the next book. This book could have ended any number of times, but it didn’t. Richelle Mead chose to keep the story going until the actual end of Adelaide’s adventure. Having that true ending helped (a bit) with my P.B.D. (Post Book Depression) upon finishing.

 

This book is 100% worth the read. So much so that even though I already purchased the Kindle edition, I’m going to be buying the hardback as well to have Richelle sign when she’s in town next month.

REVIEW: Lastland by A. R. Ivanovich

Mar30

You guys, my NetGalley reading list is OUT. OF. CONTROL!

I wish I could say that by finishing Lastland last night, my list is growing smaller…. but alas, I was just approved the other day for the third book in the Black Blade series by Jennifer Estep.

Oops?

My husband says, “Just stop requesting new books until you catch up!”

Ha! Like it’s that easy! Whose with me here? Reading is an addiction. There are so many great books out there, I don’t want to miss any of them!

Tell me in the comments, is your TBR list as out of control as mine?

Lastland by A. R. Ivanovich
Series: War of Princes #4
Read: March 2 – 29, 2016
Format: ARC Ebook (Kindle)
My Book Rating: 4.5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy / Steampunk

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, if you haven’t read The War of the Princes series yet, you are MISSING. OUT.
We’ve got a fantasy world like our own, hidden within another fantasy world.
We’ve got a driven, relatable, female heroine.
We’ve got the tortured love interest.
And a whole slew of other amazing characters.
There are twists. There are turns. People we’ve come to love die—it’s a war, remember?—but others live.

Lastland is the final book in the series. While book 1, Haven, remains my favorite of the series, Lastland is jam-packed with feels.

The War of the Princes has raged for hundreds of years, and Katelyn and crew will do everything they can to save her homeland of Haven and finally bring down Prince Raserion.

After four books I feel like I’ve come to really know these characters—Katelyn and Rune, Kyle and Dylan and Ruby, and so on—so a satisfying ending had to happen for me. I expected nothing less, and Ivanovich delivered. There were moments I wanted to throw my Kindle across the room. Moments I wanted to yell. Moments I wanted to hug the characters. I felt a whole range of emotions.

So now you’re thinking, if you loved it so much, why are you only giving it 4.5 stars? The answer to that is simple, I don’t really like military/war books. This series, despite the title, didn’t start out that way, but it sure ended that way. We’re talking epic battles of war. There were a couple times in the book where I just wanted to get on with things because I was growing bored with the war, and then Ivanovich would throw in a plot twist. This author knows how to hold a reader, even as I was starting to wonder about this book, she always pulled me right back in. And in the end, I leave Lastland with peace, glad to have had the chance to visit this world and meet these amazing characters.

Bonus: There was a plot twist from book 3, Monarch, which I had completely forgotten about due to the length of time between reading this book and that, which the author didn’t forget about, because she tied the loose ends in this book. We also get to find out what really started the war, which leads me to something I love about villains. Well written villains always have a realistic backstory—Well, realistic in the realm of the world in which the book takes place anyway!—and this book is no different. In the end, I felt a little bad for Raserion.

Long story short: This is a must read series I will continue to recommend!

REVIEW: Monarch by A. R. Ivanovich

Jan25

MonarchMonarch by A. R. Ivanovitch

Series: War of the Princes #3

Read: January 24-25, 2016

Format: Kindle Ebook

My Book Rating: 4/5 Stars

Genre: YA Fantasy

 

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

 

Monarch, like it’s predecessors, Haven and Paperglass, is a fantasy / steampunk novel packed with action, adventure and surprises.

We pick up immediately after the events of Paperglass with Katelyn and crew fulfilling their promise to Common Lord Brendon Axton in helping to aid the city of Breakwater.

I love that in this book we get to learn more about the Northern army. We already learned a lot about the Dragoons and Margraves of the West in previous books, but the Northern army has their own tricks up their sleeves as we learn in this book. And secrets.

I really can’t say much without spoiling the plot, but I’ll tell you this. There’s a huge secret unveiled and a huge betrayal. Beyond that… I just can’t!

I know this is pathetically short, but if you enjoyed the previous books, I think you’ll enjoy this one. The set up for the end is beautiful and I honestly don’t know how everything will go down.

The only criticism I have is that up until the 40% mark it kind of dragged. Then—BAM! We’re thrown into the action again. There were also a couple of editing mistakes I caught as well, but not enough to pull me out of the story or lower my rating.