Review: The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

Title: The Wrath and the Dawn
Author: Renée Ahdieh
Publication Date:  May 12th, 2015
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Source: Bought it
Where to find: Goodreads / Amazon / Book Depository

Summary: One Life to One Dawn.

In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad's dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph's reign of terror once and for all.

Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she'd imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It's an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone. She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid's life as retribution for the many lives he's stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?

Inspired by A Thousand and One Nights, The Wrath and the Dawn is a sumptuous and enthralling read from beginning to end.

“So you would have me throw Shazi to the wolves?”
“Shazi?” Jalal’s grin widened. “Honestly, I pity the wolves.”

I need more of Shahrzad and Khalid and now I have to wait until May 2016 to find out what happens and to read more of their incredible story. This was an amazing debut filled with beautiful writing, breathtaking scenery, and strong, determined characters.

This book was beyond hyped when it came out and I contemplated buying it many times in May and June, but I held off and I have to say I'm really glad I waited for the hype to wind down. I still went into this book with high expectations, but I did not go into it with the insane amount of people furiously reading it at the same time.

Right from the beginning, I was pulled into this story. The writing is stunning and entices you right away. This book is a retelling of A Thousand and One Nights which I'm not really familiar with so I cannot say much on how it matches up or how it compares as a retelling, but I can say that I loved this story. I also really loved the scenery throughout this book. I always knew exactly what was going on throughout the book and could easily picture the setting and that is a credit to Renee Ahdieh's amazing skills.

My only issue with this book was two-fold. At the beginning of the book, there seemed to be a lot of unnecessary eye descriptions. I'm not really sure why I picked up on this, but I feel like a lot of the descriptions related to eyes and it was a bit unnerving. And I know that is weird to say when I loved how descriptive this book was, but there was something about the eye descriptions at the beginning that did not sit with me.

Second, I know we all love the villain (or bad-boy) love story, but I felt like Khalid was not your full villain that he was made out to be. While he seemed like a villain at first, he really was just a tortured soul. I cannot really complain too much because I still loved his characterization but I think labeling him the villain is wrong.

Finally, the last thing I want to say is Thank You, Renne Ahdieh for making this a duology. I think way too many YA books think they need to be a trilogy and this can cause series to be drawn out and have way too much filler. And secondly, thank you for not adding a needless love triangle to this duology. You definitely had the opportunity to but, I applaud the lack of executing it!

So as you can tell, I loved this book and it is definitely one of the best I've read this year! I cannot wait for the Rose and the Dagger to come out so I can find out the conclusion to Shahrzad and Khalid's epic story.

Review: A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

Title: A Darker Shade of Magic
Author: V. E. Schwab
Publication Date: February 24th, 2015
Publisher: Tor Books
Source: Borrowed from Library
Where to find: Goodreads / Amazon / Book Depository

Summary: Kell is one of the last Travelers—rare magicians who choose a parallel universe to visit.

Grey London is dirty, boring, lacks magic, ruled by mad King George. Red London is where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London is ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne. People fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. Once there was Black London—but no one speaks of that now.

Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell smuggles for those willing to pay for even a glimpse of a world they’ll never see. This dangerous hobby sets him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a dangerous enemy, then forces him to another world for her 'proper adventure'.

But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive—trickier than they hoped.

"Love doesn't keep us from freezing to death, Kell, or starving, or being knifed for the coins in our pocket. Love doesn't buy us anything, so be glad for what you have and who you have because you may want for things but you need for nothing."

Victoria Schwab is one of those writers that you cannot help but love. She is quirky and eccentric and has an amazing ability to write amazing worlds. I had only read The Archived and Vicious by her but I knew going into this book that I was not going to be disappointed in terms of writing or character development. I do not even know why I put off reading this book. I should have read it as soon as it came out.

Parallel universes are a very interesting topic and recently there has been a increase in these kinds of books. But what I love about this topic is that every book is different. The genre itself is vastly different because the parallel universes each author creates can vary in so many different ways. I loved how this book focuses on four different Londons each with varying levels of magic and power. I also appreciated that it was not just those who could travel from universe to universe that knew about the alternate Londons. It was interesting to see how other people reacted and lived knowing this information.

This book focuses on Kell and Lila who meet during one of Kell's trips "abroad." Immediately I loved their banter and the connection between them. Both are very independent and capable individuals, but you could see they worked better together. 

This really has nothing to do with the quality of the book itself, but Kell's reversible (reversible isn't even right because it appears to have an infinite about of sides) jacket is pure genius. I loved how everywhere he went he would have to switch his jacket around to find the right style for his current project. The jacket just added to the quirkiness and the oddity that is Kell and his ability.

There is so much left to explore in this trilogy especially with all four Londons. This book really only focuses on two of them. I would really love to see more of the other two, which I think we will get. I also have so many questions about Lila and how she was able to help for the whole book and if there is more to her than we are being told (which I highly suspect there to be).

I really had no issues with this book. It was a fascinating tale in other Londons filled with magic, power, and secrecy. I cannot wait for the next book to see where Kell and Lila's story goes next. One last thought, this is considered an adult book, but I would say it is one of those books that is really fine for everyone. It is definitely a good book for people just starting to go from YA Fantasy to Adult Fantasy. 

Review: The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

Title: The Madman's Daughter
Author: Megan Shepherd
Publication Date:  January 29th, 2013
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Source: Bought it
Where to find: Goodreads / Amazon / Book Depository

Summary: Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.

Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and madness—in her own blood.

Inspired by H. G. Wells's classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman's Daughter is a dark and breathless Gothic thriller about the secrets we'll do anything to know and the truths we'll go to any lengths to protect.

"It wasn’t just my curiosity, or my fascination with anatomy, or how I could unhesitatingly chop a rabbit’s head off with an ax when a roomful of boys couldn’t. Those things were all symptoms of the same sickness - a kind of madness inherited from my father. It was a dangerous pull in my gut drawing me toward the dark possibilities of science, toward the thin line between life and death, toward the animal impulses hidden behind a corset and a smile.”

This is one of those books that going into it I did not know much about it. I had not even really heard that many things about it. And after finishing it, I have to say I’m glad I went into it with little to no expectations. To start off the writing in this book absolutely blew me away. I loved every aspect of the writing style and how Megan Shepherd weaved the story and the characters together into this dark twisted tail.

Right from the beginning of the book, I was pulled into the mystery of Juliet and her father’s experiments. From there, the tale got darker and more gruesome as the truth came out. This is definitely a dark tale filled with questionable morals, ethics, and choices. I really enjoyed the way in which this story was told with Juliet struggling with the desire to reconcile with her father and her hatred of his work and his experiments.

I'm typically not a huge fan of historical fiction, but the way in which this was written did not scream historical fiction. I think the Gothic nature of the book helped take my mind away from the obvious historical aspect. This book is also related to H.G. Wells's The Island of Dr. Moreau, which I am not familiar with, but I now want to pick it up to see what inspired this book.

I really enjoyed Juliet as a character. She was incredibly strong despite everything she had gone through. While at times she was mad with hatred, I loved getting to know her character and see how she came to various decisions. Juliet’s father is also a big part of this story and his character was so twisted, but also completely believable. I appreciated that the “villain” in this book was so complex and intricate. As for the other characters, you had Montgomery and Edward, both of who vie for Juliet’s affections. I thought the love triangle was not necessary, but luckily it was not a large aspect of the book. It is because of this love triangle that I lowered my rating to 4.5, because otherwise I absolutely loved this book.

The last 30 or so pages of this book are absolutely insane, with so many things happening and changing the course of the book and the trilogy. I was completely shocked by a lot of what unfolded and am now left anxiously waiting to start the second book to see how Juliet copes with the outcome and what happened to her on the island. 

Have you read this trilogy? What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments!

Review: Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck

Title: Tiger's Curse
Author: Colleen Houck
Publication Date:  January 11th, 2011
Publisher: Sterling
Source: Bought it
Where to find: Goodreads / Amazon / Book Depository

Summary: Passion. Fate. Loyalty.

Would you risk it all to change your destiny?

The last thing Kelsey Hayes thought she’d be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year-old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world. But that’s exactly what happened. Face-to-face with dark forces, spellbinding magic, and mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever.

Tiger’s Curse is the exciting first volume in an epic fantasy-romance that will leave you breathless and yearning for more.

“He seemed very pleased with himself for surviving a near-death experience. I could practically hear him chanting to himself: I overcame. I conquered. I’m a man etc etc.”

This book was utterly fantastic. Between the lore, the myths, the world, and the characters, there were so many different facets to this amazing story. I went into this book not having heard anyone else really comment on the series and I had no expectations whatsoever, but let me just say I was blown away by this book. The detail and the writing were amazing and while there was a lot of information to divulge, it was an easy read.

The book also moved at a very comfortable pace with progress constantly being made in the quest to undo the curse on Ren and Kishan. From the little bit we saw of Kishan, I think he is a fascinating character and I cannot wait to learn more about him. However, I do not like that this book set up what I assume is a love triangle between Kelsey and the two brothers. And that set up is the reason I docked half a star. I'm tired of love triangles and I was really hoping this series did not have one, but it looks like there will be. However, hopefully I'm wrong and it will just be a strong friendship between Kelsey and Kishan.

As the first in the series, this book did an excellent job of introducing the adventure and giving us the back-story on the events surrounding the curse. While we did get a lot of information, we were also kept in the dark a lot too, which I actually appreciated. We know the "villain" who enacted the curse is still alive, however we do not know anything about what his current motivations and actions are. I'm sure the next book is going to have a lot more to do with him as the gang gets closer and closer to breaking the curse.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments if you've read the book!

Guest Review: Looking for Alaska by John Green

Title: Looking for Alaska
Author: John Green
Publication Date:  December 28th, 2006
Publisher: Speak
Source: Bought it
Where to find: Goodreads / Amazon / Book Depository

Summary: Before. Miles "Pudge" Halter's whole existence has been one big nonevent, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the "Great Perhaps" (François Rabelais, poet) even more. He heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young, who is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart.

After. Nothing is ever the same.

“The only way out of the labyrinth of suffering is to forgive.” 

Today we have the first guest post. Looking for Alaska is my favorite John Green book and I finally got my friend Sara to read it. I also was able to get her to write a review about her thoughts. Here is her review:

The first thing I look for in a book is the character building. Whether it be love or hate I need to feel for the characters. I need them to be relatable even if I have nothing in common with them. This is where John Green excels. He does an exceptional job in capturing human nature within each of his characters. You can picture each one of them and know how they’ll react in a certain situation, or not, as was the case with Alaska, which is in itself a different type of beast. When it happens, you grieve. It’s sad. They’re your friends and you want to be there giving them all hugs. Honestly, I had no idea what was going to happen and I think it was better that way. The event was well done. It wasn’t flashy or in your face, it was real, it happened in a non-spectacular way, just as in real life.

Death is something that every human on this planet thinks of. It’s inevitable. The second thing I  appreciated was Pudge’s obsession with last words. This book has made me fascinated with last words. There is a lot of wisdom and irony associated with someone’s last words. Although for as much as he obsesses, I feel like there was a moment where he acknowledged that he didn’t know what the deceased’s last words were, but not as much as I thought he would. Either way I think it's an interesting take on further understanding human nature in general. How last words change in the situation: being in a state of knowing death is imminent or thinking you have more time. The shift from lighthearted to serious was more effective in the first half of the book and brought about more feeling, maybe because the character that created that shift wasn’t there in the second half and the memory alone wasn’t strong enough to bring it about. The person who’s story was the most serious and sad was gone, and I had a hard time having pity for people who were still living and had much better circumstances than the one they were grieving over.

Which leads into my only complaint: pace. The book starts off as an immediate page-turner. It’s upbeat, lighthearted, and made me laugh harder than I ever had at a book. You really feel as if you’re there and a little jealous because you know you’re not and wish you were. There’s a guilt trip, that takes them “Looking for Alaska”, that drives the second part of the book to completion, I just didn’t get the same type of page-turning feeling I got through the first part. It tried to be serious, but I didn’t get enough transition as from the first part to really feel the remorse. There wasn’t enough juxtaposition in the mood. I felt more as if I was skimming; it started to go in circles and I was ready for it to be over. When they discovered the real reason at the end I felt as if I didn’t care anymore. I’m glad the characters found it for closure, because again I did care about them thanks to John Green’s excellent character building, but the only person I felt sorry for the whole time was the deceased, because of their life and the fact that they were dead while everyone else was still alive.

If anything it taught me to be happy for every moment I have and what great circumstances I have had the luxury of growing up in. I will admit that I am a very horrible person when it comes to dealing with death. So I feel anyone with a soul would appreciate the second half of the book. I just don’t have one, so take it for what you will. My favorite part was the final prank/tribute because she was there, in every aspect. I applaud the think-tank that is John Green that thought that one up. I cried because I was laughing so hard and cried because it was sad. The funniest part was also the saddest for me, and I think that in itself takes a great writer to pull off. I wish he would’ve ended it with that, with some comment about it being her last words, but I’m not the author.

Above all this book makes you think. Which is the most important thing we as a society need to do. That, and read more books, with the passion of Alaska Young.

So there you have it. I  am hoping to convince Sara to read and write more reviews so the blog has thoughts other than mine. I also would be open to having someone else have a guest review if they wanted.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Review: All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Title: All The Light We Cannot See
Author: Anthony Doerr
Publication Date: May 6th, 2014
Publisher: Scribner
Source: Bought it
Where to find: Goodreads / Amazon / Book Depository

Summary: Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. When she is six, Marie-Laure goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. When Marie-Laure is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris, and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great-uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel.

In a mining town in Germany, the orphan Werner grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments, a talent that wins him a place at a brutal academy for Hitler Youth, then a special assignment to track the resistance. More and more aware of the human cost of his intelligence, Werner travels through the heart of the war and, finally, into Saint-Malo, where his story and Marie-Laure’s converge.

“What is blindness? Where there should be a wall, her hands find nothing. Where there should be nothing, a table leg gouges her shin. Cars growl in the streets; leaves whisper in the sky; blood rustles through her inner ears. In the stairwell, in the kitchen, even beside her bed, grown-up voices speak of despair.” - pg. 27

I do not know where to begin with this book. The writing in it is absolutely beautiful. Anthony Doerr's prose is amazingly intertwined within the story. This is one of those books that you need to read slowly, so that you can absorb everything within it. When reading books, I tend to mark favorite passages and quotes and I have so many pages marked in this book. There were so many beautiful passages about all different kinds of things and about life.

The main aspect of this book that made it so great for me was definitely the writing, but I also loved the characters. For the most part we follow Marie-Laure and Werner but even beyond them there are so many different stories unfolding throughout this book. Since this book was told in multiple perspectives, I knew at some point all the stories would become intertwined and we would learn about all the connections between the characters. Anthony Doerr surprised me though with the shear number of different connections that were all encompassed within this book. Even the smallest little details had some connection to the overarching story.

The only reason I am not giving this a full five crowns is due to how slow and long it took me to get into the story. That is not to say that I did not enjoy it, but there is a lot of description and time before the plot really picks up. It takes a very long time to introduce the story. Another aspect that was slightly off-putting was the changing timelines. While the book focused on WWII there were jumps in the chapters all falling somewhere between 1941 and 1945 and at times it was confusing after the year changed. However, even though the book was slow, I had no problem reading it because the writing more than made up for the slow aspect. There were times where I had to tell myself to stop reading so I did not rush and could absorb everything I was reading.

This book also ends in a very different way than what I was expecting. I also appreciated how wide open the ending is. It leaves the reading without all the answers but also has a level of finality to it. For someone who does not typically read historical fiction, this was an amazing book. I really enjoyed this book and I cannot recommend it to everyone enough. The writing alone should be enough to at least make you give this book a chance.

Have you read this yet? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

And because I loved the writing so much, here is another quote from the book.

"Streets sucked empty one by one. Each time she steps outside, she becomes aware of all the windows above her. The quiet is fretful, unnatural. It's what a mouse must feel, she things, as it steps from its hole into the open blades of a meadow, never knowing what shadow might come cruising above." - pg. 274

Review: Gathering Darkness by Morgan Rhodes

“Hatred is like fire. It burns the one who harnesses it. It's also extremely hard to see more helpful truths through its flames.”

Title: Gathering Darkness
Author: Morgan Rhodes
Publication Date: Dec 9th, 2014
Publisher: Razorbill
Source: Bought it
Where to find: Goodreads / Amazon / Book Depository






While I really enjoyed Falling Kingdoms and Rebel Spring, I loved Gathering Darkness. Each installment in the series has gotten better, but Gathering Darkness was in a league of its own. These characters are so complex with so many different allegiances and underlying reasons for each and every one of their actions. There were many times in this book where I was completely caught off guard with what happened. Morgan Rhodes is not afraid to make difficult choices and take the story in a completely different direction than you are expecting.

We also get to meet new characters including Amara and Felix. Right from the beginning, I was weary of both Amara and her brother Ashur. They come from a foreign country and have a ruthless father, who sounds even worse than Gaius. But from the start, I liked Felix. He was helping Jonas so I had no reason to doubt him. We also get to see even more of Alexius and Lucia using her powers.

The characters Morgan Rhodes has constructed are so amazing and intricate. I love that there are so many facets to each character and they are not black and white. There is so much more to their motivations, actions, thoughts, and feelings and Morgan Rhodes is showing us all these different sides.

I also love that we are starting to read from more and more character’s perspectives. It is is adding to the massive world that she has created. A world that I cannot wait to dive into again with A Book of Thieves and Spirits and of course Frozen Tides.

My only true complaint with this series right now is the insane amount of love interests for each character. I feel like it is always changing who loves who and who I should root for. Right now I ship Cleo and Magnus so hard that I do not think I can handle if they do not end up together. While I also love Nic, I feel like he is the brother to Cleo not a love interest (plus other things that occur in this book that I do not want to mention because Spoilers).

♛ ♛ ♛ ♛½ 

Let me know what your thoughts on this book and series as a whole are in the comments! And if you have not started this series yet, you definitely should!

Review: World After by Susan Ee

“You're naming your collector's-item, kick-ass sword that's made to maim and kill, specifically designed to bring your ginormous enemies to their knees and hear the lamentation of their women- Pooky Bear?"

Title: World After
Author: Susan Ee
Publication Date: Nov 19th, 2013
Publisher: Skyscape
Source: Copy via NetGalley
Where to find: Goodreads / Amazon





This series is fantastic. I love the characters, the plot, the premise. They all go together to form this amazing fast-paced, action filled story. World After starts off right where Angelfall left off, and like Angelfall, I flew through this book. I did not want to put it down, I wanted to find out exactly what was going to happen to Penryn and Raffe, and even Paige and their mom. One thing I can say is that while I’m glad I waited until now to start this series since End of Days comes out in May, I’m also sad that I waited this long. This series is so amazingly done that I wish I had read it sooner.

My only complaint with this installment is the lack of Raffe for the first half of this book. However, while he may not be with Penryn physically, the sword brings them together. I loved all the little background information we got on Raffe from the sword. And of course once they were together again, I was beyond excited. The banter between them is perfect and I love every minute of it. They are both such strong characters who work perfectly together, but are also completely capable on their own.

To me this installment seemed creepier and darker than the first. Locust like beings have a strong presence in this installment, plus what goes on with Paige in this book is down right creepy. I felt so bad for what she had to go through, especially when you remember that she is only 7. There were many times in this book where I would forget just how young Paige is. And to imagine what she went through and is going through is heartbreaking. But at least she has Penryn and her mom who will do anything for her.

*I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

♛ ♛ ♛ ♛½

I cannot wait to get my hands on End of Days. I hope it picks up right where were left Penryn, Raffe, and Paige. I also really need more Raffe and Penryn. So I'm definitely counting down the days to End of Days on May 12th.

Review: The Infinite

“I was the daughter of time, and I would make them pay.”  

Title: The Infinite
Author: Lori M. Lee
Publication Date: March 10th, 2015 
Publisher:  Skyscape
Source: ARC via Netgalley
Where to find: Goodreads / Amazon







Okay, I’m going to attempt to keep this review spoiler free, but I always struggle to do that for sequels. So here it goes. Also gorgeous cover. Personally, I like the first one better, but this one is great too!

This book starts off a few months after the end of Gates of Thread and Stone. We have Kai, Reev, and Avan dealing with the aftermath of what happened. Kai is dealing with finding out just who she is and what her powers mean. The end of Gates of Thread and Stone left me with a lot of questions and while some of those were answered, I feel like I have even more after finishing the Infinite!

I absolutely love Lori M. Lee’s writing. There is just something about it that immediately draws me in and keeps me entertained and desperate to find out what happens. This book starts out with an amazing line just like the first book did. I love the descriptions in this book. I am always vividly aware of what is around Kai.

Kai continues to impress me as a strong character. Her development and characterization in this novel is amazing and in some ways even better than in the first book. I really loved how Kai dealt with the events of both the first book and this book. This book takes us even further outside of Ninurta into a new land called Lanathrill. I loved how Lee expanded the world in this book. We realize that other people exist outside the walls of Ninurta and Etu Gahl. I also loved the new characters we are introduced to. They were a great contrast to Kai especially because they grew up in a different “world”.

My only real complaint with this book is the lack of Reev and Avan for a lot of it. Yes, they are in the beginning and end but the middle part of this book is lacking. I came to really love those two and we do not get very much of them in this book. Especially Reev, the first book was all about finding him and in this book we continue to be with Kai who is not with him. Not having Avan for most of this book was sad because I love Kai and his interactions and those were lacking. However, we did get to spend more time with Mason which was nice.

This was another great installment in this series and I cannot wait to see what happens next! The ending especially left us hanging now that we know who and what was behind the events of The Infinite.

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

♛ ♛ ♛ ♛½

Let me know in the comments if you have read the book and what your thoughts are.

"We will rise, red as the dawn”

“I'm a Red girl in a sea of Silvers and I can't afford to feel sorry for anyone, least of all the son of a snake.”

Title: Red Queen
Author: Victoria Aveyard
Publication Date: February 10, 2015
Publisher: HarperTeen
Where to find: Goodreads / Amazon







This book was beyond highly anticipated. And to be honest I was a little weary of it because of the hype and attention it was receiving. Luckily, I was not disappointed at all. This book was magnificent. I thoroughly enjoyed it and once I started, I did not want to put it down.  From a superficial standpoint, the book draws you in simply because of the cover. It is down right gorgeous. In person, it is even better with the texture of the crown and the blood. The end pages are also beautiful.

As for the actual book, Red Queen combines many of the favorite YA themes and aspects, but in a new way. You have a Red pretending to be a Silver, much like Darrow in Red Rising is pretending to be a Gold. You have different Silvers with different abilities very much like in the X-Men realm. There is a Game of Thrones aspect with the different houses all competing with each other for power. There is even a little bit of The Selection with the princes picking their brides. While this book had so many aspects from other series, it did not cause me to enjoy it any less. I can see how others could be annoyed by this though. For me, I loved how Victoria Aveyard blended all the different ideas into her own story.

Mare is an interesting character. She is very focused on protecting those she loves and will protect them at any cost.  Even if it means risking herself in the process. However she is also a little too gullible and trusting of those around her, which is problematic at times. I absolutely loved Cal. He was great. From the first sighting of him, I knew he was more than just a guy at the bar. The dynamic between Cal and Mare was fantastic. I loved all their scenes together.

A lot of people would say this book has a love triangle. And I’m not sure I would agree with them. Yes there are multiple “interests” but romance is not at all a major aspect of this story. This story is about rebellion, political ties, War, and the ever growing thirst for power and control.

Overall, this book was highly enjoyable and lived up to the hype. Victoria Aveyard wrote a wonderful book and I cannot wait for the 2nd installment especially with how action packed the last 20% of this book was.

♛ ♛ ♛ ♛½

Let me know in the comments if you have read the book or plan to read it!

Review: Gates of Thread and Stone

“Death lived in a glass tower at the center of the White Court. I could see the tower from anywhere in the city. It cut the skyline like a blade. Death- She probably had a real name- was Kahl Ninu’s right hand and his personal executioner. Or at least, that’s what the rumors said.”

Title: Gates of Thread and Stone
Author: Lori M. Lee
Publication Date: August 4, 2014
Publisher: Skyscape
Where to find: Goodreads / Amazon





I’ve been wanting to read this book forever. I follow Lori M. Lee on Twitter and she seems like a great person and she really enjoys interacting with fans. Both the premise and the cover of this book drew me in! This book was definitely as good as expected, if not better. I loved the story, the characters, the world, and the writing. I also loved all the different elements wrapped into this story. You have time manipulation, steampunk, fantasy, and even mythology. It was a fascinating blend of elements.

The plot was somewhat slow in this book, but that was due to extensive world building. Lori did an amazing job setting up the story and introducing us to Kai, Reev, and Avan. There are plenty of other characters in this book too, that all have an important tie to those main three.

At first you think this book is about Kai and Avan leaving the city walls to find Kai’s brother, Reev, but it is so much more than that. Reev’s disappearance is more complicated and it requires Kai and Avan to go undercover at the Tournament to hopefully get Reev and leave the city again. The ending of this book shows just how complex and well-thought out the plot is and was totally unexpected for me.

The magic system in this book is very unique. And how Kai fits into this system is unclear (it is somewhat cleared up at the end but I still have a lot of questions). She can manipulate the threads of time, but it is not really clear what the full potential of her powers are. I really wished we could have seen more of Kai’s powers and what she is capable of. I really hope in subsequent books we learn more about them as she experiments with them.

Overall, this was a great introduction into a new series. Lori’s writing style is fantastic, she pulled me right in and there were many times I did not want to stop reading even though I had to, to either go to bed or go to class. I flew through this book in under 24 hours. That is how much I loved it. I’m also really glad I have a galley of the second book, The Infinite. So I can jump right into that without having to wait!

*I received a galley of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

♛ ♛ ♛ ♛½

Let me know in the comments if you have read the book or plan to read it!

The Glass Coffin in Fairfold

 

 “There's a monster in our wood. She'll get you if you're not good. Drag you under leaves and sticks. Punish you for all your tricks. A nest of hair and gnawed bone. You are never, ever coming... home.”  

Title: The Darkest Part of the Forest  
Author: Holly Black 
Publication Date: January 13, 2015 
Publisher: Little Brown
Where to find: Goodreads / Amazon








This book focuses on a town called Fairfold. The town is right next to a forest filled with faeries. Within the forest lies a “glass” coffin with a strange horned boy. The coffin has been there since everyone can remember. Our two main characters Hazel and Ben have grown up talking to the coffin and the boy inside falling in love with him along the way. They are knights to his prince. Then one morning the town wakes up to find the coffin broken and the boy gone. We later learn that the boy’s name is Severin.

The characters in this book were amazing. We had Hazel who has never let anyone in and kisses every boy in sight. We have Ben her brother who also happens to be gay. There is Jack, Ben’s best friend and Hazel’s old crush, who also happens to be a changeling. And finally we have the horned boy Severin. You also have the townspeople and the tourists who all play a role in what it means to live Fairfold with the faeries in the forest.

The characters alone were interesting, but what I really liked was the relationships between the characters. A lot of the story focused on the sibling relationship between Ben and Hazel. This was not a simple romance between different characters in the book. It was more about Ben and Hazel and what they were willing to do for each other. And of course it was about saving the town from the faeries and their mischief.

Part of this review needs to focus on the sheer awesomeness of this book. It is just over 300 pages but still has incredible world building and an amazing story. Holly Black’s ability to write a paranormal stand-alone book is astounding. Not only do I love her writing, I also appreciate what she did with this book. It had the faerie lore along with modern culture.

I’ve always loved fairy lore and for me Holly Black is one of the best when it comes to fairy books. I loved this book. It was the right mixture of creepy, dark, and happy. 

♛ ♛ ♛ ♛½

Let me know in the comments if you have read the book or plan to read it!

Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis

This book was extremely well written. I absolutely loved the characters and the writing style. Mindy McGinnis has a way of writing that really pulled me in and kept me continuing to read wanted to know what would happen to Lucy, Lynn, Eli, Neva, and Stebbs. I loved Lynn as the main character. She was so strong willed which is rare in many books. She was ready and willing to do whatever was necessary to protect the pond and her house. It is finding Eli, Neva, and Lucy that change her and cause her to show her selfless, caring side.

Lucy was an adorable little girl who really helped Lynn see that there was more to life than pure survival, that she could have fun and play in the snow. Stebbs was the father-like figure in Lynn’s life especially after her mom passed away. And then there was Eli, the love-interest. One thing that was a little strange to me is that I didn’t feel like I knew the ages of the various characters. The way I read it Lynn was late teens early 20s, Lucy was around 7 or 8, Eli was 30s, and Stebbs was 40s. But I don’t think we ever really know how old they are.

McGinnis took such a unique story to tell and it was refreshing. The idea of a world with no water or at least limited water is incredibly scary and McGinnis showcases the importance of banding together to survive. This book was very character driven and was a story of survival. The book focuses on what Lynn and her group needed to do to survive and they choices they made to reach survival.

One thing I wish we could have seen or learned more about is the cities and the history behind the water shortage. I wanted to know why this was happening and how the world went from running water to leaving the rural areas to pay for water in the cities. Plus the whole Cholera thing, I would have loved more background on the world.

✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ and 1/2 stars

The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Let me start off by saying, I have read the first too books in the Legend Trilogy, and while I don’t hate them, I don’t really love them either. I love Marie Lu’s writing style though. The Young Elites grabbed my attention right away. Magic has always been a weakness for me and the idea of the fever, markings, and the Elites was really intriguing to me.

I think Marie Lu did a great job of introducing the world and the stakes with the Inquisitors and the Daggers. I loved the little snippets of information at the beginning  of every chapter. Though small, it really added to the world and my understanding. It is also interesting the time period that this book takes place in. We are basically in Juno of 1361. This added lords and servants to the fantasy element of the book.

This book was told with very interesting POVs. Basically we had Adelina’s first person and then third person with Teren, Enzo, and Raffaele. At times I wanted more from Enzo and Raffaele since we mostly saw things from Adelina’s perspective. But having Teren’s side was great because we saw the “bad” side and what they were up to. The storyline between Teren and Giulietta showed just how complex this world and the malfettos were.

I found it slightly predictable what Teren’s secrets were, but I see why they were important. i also think he is going to have a large part to play later in the trilogy. This book was a great start to the trilogy and I can’t wait to see where it is going. This book definitely exceeded by expectations and for me was better than The Legend Trilogy.

That ending was so not fair. Between the introduction of a brand new character that was clearly involved from the beginning, to the result of the battle. Completely unfair, especially because now I have to wait. And Adelina is clearly not in a good place at the end of this one.

Solid ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ and a half stars.

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

This book was exactly what I needed right now, a paranormal fairy tale. Cruel Beauty is a Beauty and the Beast retelling with demons. Basically two of my favorite things, I absolutely love the Beauty and the Beast story. It is a great love story about looking within. And this particular novel added demons. There is just something about demons that always get me. I’m not really sure what it is, and I’m sure Supernatural has something to do with my slight obsession.

The beginning of this book was a little bit confusing with respect to the curse and how it tied in with the fairy tale, but as we learned more about both Arcadia and the Gentle Lord/Ignifex, I understood the retelling aspect a lot better. And while this is a retelling, it goes beyond the source material and creates a universe that I utterly enjoyed.

Ignifex is a new favorite when it comes to characters. He was cunning, haunting, and obviously very good at getting what he wants. His characterization was great. The books starts out depicting him as this cruel, very black-and-white character, but as the story unfolds we see all the layers and complexities to his character. Plus there is his shadow, Shade. Shade was an interesting character for me, I really hated him at the beginning, since I was a strong proponent of Ignifex and Nyx. But understanding Shade’s past helped. As for Nyx’s character, she had always been groomed to marry Ignifex and destroy him, and as expected, learns there is more to the curse than originally thought.

I thought Hodge did a beautiful job creating the universe and retelling the classic Beauty and the Beast story with her own twists. Hodge has beautiful writing that just pulls you into the story. And the last part of the book was extremely well written. The book reached a whole new level at the end with the forklore and mythology.

After I started this book, I could not put it down and was dead set on finding out what happened to the characters I had just met. I’m sad that this is a standalone, even though Crimson Bound is in the same universe. I wish I got more Ignifex and Nyx. But I do feel like the book ended perfectly, without diving too far into the future after the plot of the story had played out.

✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ and 1/2 Stars

Splintered by A.G. Howard

As I’m sure you have guessed by now, this is another book that I totally judged by the cover. But I was not disappointed at all by the actual book. It was great. I loved the Alice in Wonderland connection but I also appreciated Howard’s own take on the world. While I loved Alyssa and Jeb as characters, Morpheus wins it all for me. He is absolutely amazing and I love his characterization. He is just so obnoxious but also completely lovable at the same time. I may be in the minority with this, but I loved each and every scene with him. And his interactions with Alyssa were great, the teasing, the tension, and just the overall way he approached things with her. And you could argue that many of his choices were despicable, and he was often quite cruel, but I think his actions and his heart were in the right place.

As I got further and further into the book and you learned more about the curse on Alyssa’s family all because of what Alice had done to Wonderland, you got a better understanding of some of the choices Alison had made to protect her daughter. Alyssa was determined to do whatever she could to protect her mom and destroy the curse. I think having Jeb come along was a way to protect Alyssa from going completely head-first into the battle with little to no concern. It also kept her somewhat grounded as she realized how similar she was to the people of Wonderland and just how well she actually fit in if she thought about it. At first Alyssa’s blind faith and love in Jeb really bothered me, (probably because I hated his girlfriend so much). Even now after finishing the book and knowing everything, I’m still not really sure how I feel about that. Plus my obsession with Morpheus definitely influenced my views.

As for the actual plot of the story, after Morpheus explained the “curse”, it was pretty clear what needed to be done to “save” Wonderland. And like with all things, it was easier said than done. I thought the plot progressed realistically and I don’t have many problems with the way things progressed. And I was completely surprised by the twist at the end. I didn’t even have a small inkling that it was even possible. That unpredictable twist allowed me to enjoy the book even more than I already was.

Overall, this was a solid first installment in the trilogy and I cannot wait to find out what Alyssa, Jeb, and Morpheus get up to in the next two books.

✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ and 1/2 Stars

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

I have been wanting to read this for a while, but when my cousin texted me yesterday morning raving about this book, I knew I needed to finally get around to it. Plus with the movie out now, I don’t want to get spoiled. I was up until 4 am last night finishing this book. Initially I was just going to finish the first part of the book, but that quickly turned into finishing the whole book because I was so engrossed.

The book is told from Nick’s perspective during the investigation and Amy’s diary perspective detailing Nick and her’s marriage leading up to the incident. I really enjoyed learning about this couple from the two points of view. It gave me as the reader different perspectives to look at as I tired to guess what was going on before we actually found out. Throughout Nick’s chapters there we all these little clues and red herrings where he would mention how many times he had lied to the police or how he smiled at the wrong moment. I loved how Flynn used these to make it grayer about what was happening.

 I don’t want to say too much about the plot because it is really best to go into this book mostly blind. But let me just say this is a messed up story, about messed up characters, who do messed up things. And it is absolutely nuts how much thought had to go into to creating this story and making everything connect and work out. I applaud Flynn’s ability to write this insanely good thriller.

4.5/5 Stars

The Iron Trial by Holly Black & Cassandra Clare

So I clearly enjoyed this book since it took me under 4 hours to read. I loved going back to the idea of a school to learn magic, just like how I got to in the Harry Potter series. But the similarities between the two stop there. Call is an interesting character because it seems that no matter how hard he tries to fail, he ends up doing something amazing (even if it is dangerous). But the one thing that makes him special is his determination. Call was determined to fail the Iron Trial, then he was determined to get kicked out of the Magisterium, and finally he is determined to not turn into what he truly is inside (and yes i know that is vague, but I don’t want to spoil anyone).

I loved the trio of apprentices in Call’s group. Aaron, Tamara and Call are all very different characters from various backgrounds that work really well together. While it takes some time for their friendship to develop, I appreciated that it wasn’t an immediate thing. They took the time to mistrust each other and grow closer through their training exercises.


When I met Holly Black and Cassandra Clare they said that they wanted to shock people at the end and I can definitely say I was shocked. I had one theory towards the halfway point of the book. But boy was I completely wrong. I cannot wait for them to finish the next book so I can see what lies ahead for our three characters in their Copper year. But I also know it may be awhile since both authors have a lot they are currently working on.

Overall, I really enjoyed this middle grade fantasy book. The characters were great and I adored the world. Especially how complicated the Magisterium seems. I know I would definitely get lost.

4.5/5 Stars

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

This book absolutely infuriated me! But at the same time I loved it. I went into it with no expectations and no idea what it was about and that is how I think everyone should go into it.

A book hasn't made me this angry or caused this level of emotion in a long time.

I don't want to say anything else except everyone should read this book. And don't look up stuff about it. Go into it blind. 

4.5/5 Stars

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

So Assassin Nuns! What more could you ask for! This book piqued my interest purely because of said nuns. And yes they are nuns devout to Death, but it is a convent nonetheless that trains young girls to be assassins.

There is obvious female power and strength in this book with the convent being full of strong female characters. At the beginning of the book, we learn that Ismae has been treated horribly by both her parents and her husband. However, this does not stop her from escaping with the help of a priest who then takes her to Saint Mortain.

One issue I have with the book is Ismae’s immediate acceptance of her fate. She automatically trusts the nuns and believes in their cause after she survives the poisoning. She even convinces another girl to stay on her first night. Another is that after chapter 5 you jump three years ahead. While I understand that this was done to move the book along, it would have been nice to see aspects of her training.

The main chunk of this story is Ismae on her final test before taking her vows to Mortain. This test involves time with Duval. Duval is an interesting character who is clearly hiding things throughout the story but he still treats Ismae with respect and knows what she is capable of.

The interactions between Ismae and Duval throughout the book are fantastic. They are both respect each other and each other’s opinions on important matters. I love their various interactions and plotting. Together they are able to solve the mystery and find the traitor.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The world of Assassin Nuns is enticing and magical. Cannot wait to read more in the series

4.5/5 Stars