Goodreads Monday

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme hosted here. To participate, choose a random book from your TBR and show it off. Don’t forget to link back here and feel free to add your links to the comments so that others can see what you picked.

Hey guys! Hope you’re all well. I have become obsessed with K Dramas – which means I have done absolutely NO reading! I should really get back on it… XD

Anyway.this weeks pick for me is a sequel. I really enjoyed the first book and I have been meaning to pick up a copy of the sequel for a while now… and I just haven’t #bookishproblems

Siege of Shadows by Sarah Raughley 

Published: November 21st 2017 by Simon Pulse 

There’s nowhere to hide.

Not when you’re an Effigy. No matter where they go, Maia and the other Effigies can’t escape the eyes of the press—especially not after failing to capture Saul, whose power to control the monstrous Phantoms has left the world in a state of panic. It’s been two months since Saul’s disappearance, and there’s still no sign of him, leaving the public to wonder whether the Sect—and the Effigies—are capable of protecting anyone.

When Saul suddenly surfaces in the middle of the Sahara desert, the Sect sends Maia and her friends out after him. But instead of Saul, they discover a dying soldier engineered with Effigy-like abilities. Even worse, there may be more soldiers like him out there, and it looks like the Effigies are their prime targets.

Yet the looming danger of Saul and this mysterious new army doesn’t overshadow Maia’s fear of the Sect, who ordered the death of the previous Fire Effigy, Natalya. With enemies on all sides and the world turning against them, the Effigies have to put their trust in each other—easier said than done when secrets threaten to tear them apart.

Goodreads Monday

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme hosted here. To participate, choose a random book from your TBR and show it off! Don’t forget to link back here, and feel free to add your link to the comments so others can see what you picked! 

Hey guys! THE WEATHER HAS WARMED UP!!! I cannot even begin to tell you how happy this makes me! Hopefully it will be summer warm before I know it:-D

Anyway, this weeks pick for me is a relatively new release. I have heard amazing things all around about this book, so I am extremely excited to pick a copy up!

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

Published: March 6th 2018 by Simon Pulse

Welcome to the cursed town of Sparrow…

Where, two centuries ago, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town.

Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them under.

Like many locals, seventeen-year-old Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But this year, on the eve of the sisters’ return, a boy named Bo Carter arrives; unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into.

Mistrust and lies spread quickly through the salty, rain-soaked streets. The townspeople turn against one another. Penny and Bo suspect each other of hiding secrets. And death comes swiftly to those who cannot resist the call of the sisters.

But only Penny sees what others cannot. And she will be forced to choose: save Bo, or save herself.

What books do you have on your TBR?

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

Published: February 8th 2018 by Gollancz

I am a Belle. I control Beauty.

In the opulent world of Orléans, the people are born grey and damned, and only a Belle’s powers can make them beautiful.

Camellia Beauregard wants to be the favourite Belle – the one chosen by the queen to tend to the royal family.

But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favourite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that her powers may be far greater – and far darker – than she ever imagined.

When the queen asks Camellia to break the rules she lives by to save the ailing princess, she faces an impossible decision: protect herself and the way of the Belles, or risk her own life, and change the world forever.

This book was one of my highly anticipated reads for 2018. I was completely drawn in by the beautiful cover and the blurb had me intrigued – as well as all the amazing reviews this was getting! I absolutely loved this book! It was magical in so many ways, whilst highlighting so many social issues.

The world building in this book was phenomenal! It was magical, lush and vivid and I was never left struggling trying to picture anything! I could easily envision the treatments, the rooms, the city itself, the characters and it was a world that was easy to get lost in.

I liked the representation of beauty in this book – both the good and the bad sides. I liked the fact that Clayton represented the idea that beauty is ever changing and that the trends are set by a select few in our community and that everyone is always clamouring to have the last thing. I also liked the fact that Clayton didn’t shy away from the ugly side of beauty – the unhealthy body images that are constantly being presented and the fact that people are willing to change their bodies to extremely unhealthy lengths, just to be trendy, was very reflective of today’s society. Camellia tried to advocate for a natural and healthy body type, but was constantly being shut down, which, again, is constantly taking place in society. Beauty was painful and expensive to uphold and it really reflects everything about the beauty industry in today’s society.

Aside from beauty, Clayton also represented other societal issues – Media influence, sexual harassment/assault, rape culture, Politics and power in politics etc. Clayton managed to weave in various issues and represent them in a way that mattered and didn’t feel flimsy. I also like the fact that Clayton had LGBTQ representation throughout in various places.

I largely enjoyed the plot, but I’m still not sure where this series is heading? Books usually have an end game/a goal that the characters are trying to reach by the end of the book/series and it’s their journey to get there and the challenges that thy face throughout. I can’t say I really know where this series is going and what the characters are ultimately setting out to do because it was never made clear. So,while the plot itself was good and had good twists etc. it seems a little lost in where it’s going.

I would have also liked to have seen a little more development in certain plot points – specifically things like the crying in the teahouses. It is mentioned throughout the book and we are reminded at various points throughout, but I feel that the answer to what it was and what was really going on should have been more fleshed out. The author could have made more out of the mystery.

I liked Camellia as a character. She had no issues questioning things that she knew wasn’t right and she ultimately stayed true to herself throughout, despite what was being thrown at her. I liked the fact that she tried to do the right thing and made things right that she knew she had done wrong. I also loved her interaction with Auguste! They were hilarious and sassy and really helped to lift the mood when various plot points had brought it down. I found myself laughing at them often and always looked forward to when they would verbally spar!

I would have liked to have seen more of a relationship development between Remy and Camille. I enjoyed the tentative relationship that they had the and the judgyness that came from Remy regarding Camille – but I would have liked to have seen them get to know each other a little more (especially Remy) and I would have liked to have seen Remy’s perspective change a little bit more fleshed out – especially because of the ending.

I have a love hate relationship with Sophia. She was well fleshed out and I liked the subtlety of her actions at the beginning, which became more erratic and obvious as the book carried on. She was conniving and manipulative – I can’t wait to see what the author is going to do with this character.

I loved the ending! I was not expecting things to go down the way that they did and I was not expecting a certain character to be at the middle of it! I was pretty shocked when I found out what had happened and I felt betrayed! The ending wasn’t predictable at all and I loved it!

All in all, I absolutely loved this book, despite the few issues that I have with it! The characters were mostly well fleshed out and the world building was just magical and amazing! I gave this book 4/5 stars.

 

Goodreads Monday and Cover Reveal!

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme hosted here. To participate, choose a random book from your TBR and show it off! Don’t forget to link back here and feel free to add your link to the comments so that others can see what you picked! 

Hey guys! I hope you all had a great weekend – and happy (belated) easter to all those who celebrate! It’s still ice cold over here and it keeps snowing…so I am kind of hoping the weather gets over that some time soon.

Anyway, I come to you with a cover reveal this week of a book that I am looking forward to picking up! The cover is absolutely beautiful as well! I will note, there was a short synopsis available for people who signed up to do the cover reveal, but I’m not sure if it’s the final synopsis or not, so I won’t be sharing it!

Star-Crossed by Pintip Dunn

Expected Publication: October 2nd 2018 by Entangled Teen

Look at how pretty it is! As mentioned, there was a short synopsis, but it wasn’t included in the email – I will update it if I get a synopsis! 😀

Pre Order:

Amazon/iBooks/B&N

About the author:

Pintip Dunn is a New York Times bestselling author of YA fiction. She graduated from Harvard University, magna cum laude, with an A.B. in English Literature and Language. She received her J.D. at Yale Law School, where she was an editor of the YALE LAW JOURNAL. Pintip’s debut novel, FORGET TOMORROW, won the RWA RITA® for Best First Book. In addition, it is a finalist for the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire, the Japanese Sakura Medal, and the MASL Truman Award. THE DARKEST LIE was nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award. Her other books include REMEMBER YESTERDAY, the novella BEFORE TOMORROW, and GIRL ON THE VERGE. She lives with her husband and children in Maryland. You can learn more about Pintip and her books at http://www.pintipdunn.com

March Wrap Up

Hey guys! I hope you all had a great month. I have definitely had an amazing month, and when I look back through it, I feel like March has been extremely long. In amongst everything I managed to read, I also managed to binge watch Vampire Diaries up until about episode 8 in season 5. So… I’ve definitely gotten through a lot this month!

Read:

• A Poison Dark and Drowning by Jessica Cluess – (Read in Feb, reviewed in March)
• Mercy Rule by Tom Leveen (Read in Feb, Reviewed in March)
• Lies that Bind by Diana Rodriguez Wallach – ARC, DNF, 1 star
• The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell – 3 stars
• The Cruel Prince by Holly Black – 5 stars
• Circle of Ashes by Elise Kova and Lynn Larsh – ARC, 5 stars
• City of Glass by Cassandra Clare – 4 stars
• Captive by Jex Lane – Adult, Review on Goodreads, 4 stars
• Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare – 3 stars
• Everless by Sara Holland – 3 stars
• Rebel Springs by Morgan Rhodes – 4 stars
• Obsidio by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman – 5 stars – Review to come
• Time Bomb by Joelle Charbonneau – 2 stars – Review to come
• Sire by Jex Lane – Adult, Review to come on Goodreads, 5 stars
• Broken by Jex Lane – Adult, Review to come on Goodreads, 5 stars
• Stone Sentinel by Jex Lane – Adult, Review to come on Goodreads, 5 stars

Started:

• Perfected by Kate Jarvik Birch

Bought/Acquired:

• The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
• Everless by Sara Holland
• Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves
• Obsidio by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman
• Follow Me Back by A.V. Geiger – I ordered this second hand and when it came, I found it is signed!!
• Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma
• The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton
• Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan
• Charm and Strange by Stephanie Kuehn

ARCs/Review Copies:

• Twice Dead by Caitlin Seal – ARC, Netgalley
• Circle of Ashes by Elise Kova and Lynn Larsh – ARC,Received from the Authors
• Age of Azmoq: The Valantian Imperium by Rajamayyoor Sharma – Review copy received from author
• Unraveled by Kate Jarvik Birch – ARC, Netgalley

Beta:

• Rock – A – Bye Baby by LRW Lee

Goodreads Monday:

• March 5th – Spies, Lies and Allies by Lisa Brown Roberts
• March 12th – Echoes by Alice Reeds
• March 19th – Violent Ends by Shaun David Hutchinson
• March 26th – Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi

 

Other posts:

• Cover Reveal: Circle of Ashes by Elise Kova and Lynn Larsh
• Cover and Synopsis Reveal: Spies, Lies and Allies by Lisa Brown Roberts (GR Monday post)
• Cover Reveal: Echoes by Alice Reeds (GR Monday Post)
• Cover Reveal: A Bond of Sovereigns and Souls by Karen Tomlinson

Book of the Month:

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Published: January 2nd 2018 by LBBFYR

Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

I hope you all had an amazing month like I did! Feel free to add your links to the comments so I can check them out!

Rebel Springs by Morgan Rhodes

Rebel Springs by Morgan Rhodes

Published: July 15th 2014 by Razorbill

Auranos has been conquered and the three kingdoms—Auranos, Limeros, and Paelsia—are now unwillingly united as one country called Mytica. But alluring, dangerous magic still beckons, and with it the chance to rule not just Mytica, but the world. . . .

CLEO is now a prisoner in her own palace, forced to be an ambassador for Mytica as the evil King Gaius lies to her people MAGNUS stands to eventually inherit the new kingdom but is still obsessed with his feelings for his adopted sister, Lucia LUCIA is haunted by the deadly outcome of her breathtaking display of magic that allowed her father to capture the kingdoms JONAS watches at the palace gates, a troop of rebels behind him, waiting for him to tell them how he plans to overtake King Gaius When Gaius announces that a road is to be built into the Forbidden Mountains, formally linking all of Mytica together, he sets off a chain of cataclysmic events that will forever change the face of this land.

Since the final book in this series was recently published, I thought it was probably a good time to return to this series! Whilst I found the plot enjoyable, there were other aspects of this book that I really struggled with which were ultimately a let down.

As mentioned, I enjoyed the plot. Despite the jumping between various PoVs (characters who are located a various different places on the continent(?)), the plot was extremely easy to follow and it was interesting watching all the various points start to come together as the characters begin to have similar goals – albeit for different reasons. I liked the magical aspect of this book and the mystery that surrounds the watchers, the kindred etc.

I enjoyed the various different PoVs! I feel that Rhodes did a great job of making each voice unique and, in doing so, the voices didn’t bleed together. I could easily put the book down mid chapter (which I try not to do) and come back and remember who’s PoV I was reading because the voices are unique. They all have their own personalities and each one brought something different to the story.

I am so intrigued by the prince of Kaesia. We don’t get to see a lot of him in this book, but he is such a mysterious figure and I cannot wait until we find to more about him and what is role will be in the bigger picture! I am also low key ready to jump aboard a particular ship if the canon develops – that is all I am saying.

I struggled with the romance element of this book. A lot of it felt forced and I wasn’t really getting any of the feels from the characters who were claiming to be into Cleo. I liked the fact that Cleo and Magnus’ relationship is one that will probably grow and develop as the series continues because it is a slow burn that I will probably enjoy more. I honestly don’t understand why everyone keeps flinging themselves at Cleo because there hasn’t really been a build up of emotions before declaring love – I feel like Cleo needs to arm herself with a bat so she can keep them all away!

Despite the fact that I enjoyed the plot, I am relatively sure I have already figured out the complete end game based off of the prophecy – I just don’t know whats going to happen to actually get there. Everything clicked into place when the prophecy was revealed and I wish that there was more of a mystery to the plot – it was a little to predictable in this sense.

Another aspect of this book that I don’t really understand is the skepticism of magic. A big portion of the book is the characters denouncing the existence of magic and them being skeptical about it… despite the fact that IT IS IN FRONT OF THEIR EYES!! This literally makes no sense to me. They have seen magic and that it exists, but they still refuse to believe it? This elicited a lot of eye rolling from me.

All in all, while I enjoyed the plot and there were intriguing aspects, there were still some flaws that I felt could have been addressed. I am looking forward to picking up the next book in this series and finding out how things will play out to the ultimate end goal. I gave this book 4/5 stars.

Everless by Sara Holland

Everless by Sara Holland

Published: January 2nd 2018 by HarperTeen

In the kingdom of Sempera, time is currency—extracted from blood, bound to iron, and consumed to add time to one’s own lifespan. The rich aristocracy, like the Gerlings, tax the poor to the hilt, extending their own lives by centuries.

No one resents the Gerlings more than Jules Ember. A decade ago, she and her father were servants at Everless, the Gerlings’ palatial estate, until a fateful accident forced them to flee in the dead of night. When Jules discovers that her father is dying, she knows that she must return to Everless to earn more time for him before she loses him forever.

But going back to Everless brings more danger—and temptation—than Jules could have ever imagined. Soon she’s caught in a tangle of violent secrets and finds her heart torn between two people she thought she’d never see again. Her decisions have the power to change her fate—and the fate of time itself.

I was extremely excited when I got my hands on this book. I loved the premise of this book and I was excited to see that other people had loved it as well. However, this book just didn’t live up to the hype for me. I was expecting something more than what I was given and I was left feeling relatively disappointed.

This book was extremely slow. I felt like it plodded along at a glacial pace and nothing seemed to be happening at all. Various things that were revealed as the book continued didn’t all come together until the last sort of 100 pages and I felt like things could have happened before this point to really help kick start this book. I had already guessed what was going to happen and who Jules was, so the ending wasn’t all that shocking for me either. There was one aspect of the ending that I wasn’t expecting and it didn’t really affect me in the way that it was probably supposed to because I had never felt a connection to that particular story plot (Don’t want to give away too many spoilers).

The whole thing felt extremely repetitive. Jules was doing things that a normal castle worker/person in her job would be doing and she was constantly getting angry at things that she was making no attempts to change. I felt like it was on a bit of a loop and it started getting old relatively quickly. I struggled to connect with her because I found her to be whiny and annoying – so I didn’t really care about what was going to happen to her.

There was one aspect of the book that didn’t make sense wen it tied into the ending. A good portion of the book is spent with Jules fawning over someone she can’t have but has been attracted to since they were children – basically written in a way that she was in love with him. So when the ending went down in the way that it did, I was extremely confused because it went against everything else that happened within the book and the other character relationships etc. It felt a bit whimsical and fickle in a sense.

I was drawn to Liam, more than his brother, from the beginning of the book. I have a thing for dark, broody characters (apparently there is something wrong with me?) and I didn’t really care for his more light hearted brother – who I felt that we were supposed like. I had guessed what Liam had done relatively early on, so when it was revealed at the end, it also didn’t surprise me as it probably should have done.

All in all, I found this book to be a bit predictable and slow – I was expecting better based off of the hype. I loved the premise and the idea behind blood being tied to time, but I really wish that something more had happened. I gave this book 2.5/5stars

 

Goodreads Monday

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme hosted here. To participate, choose a random book from your TBR and show it off. Don’t forget to link back here and feel free to add your links in the comments so that others can see what you picked.

Hey guys! I hope you all had a great weekend – I’m still waiting for the weather to actually decide what its wanting to do…hopefully get warmer!

This weeks pick for me is a book that I have been extremely excited about since it was announced. I loved the originally trilogy and I am so glad that the author decided to carry one with the series.

Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi

Published: March 6th 2018 by Harper Collins

Juliette Ferrars thought she’d won. She took over Sector 45, was named the new Supreme Commander, and now has Warner by her side. But she’s still the girl with the ability to kill with a single touch—and now she’s got the whole world in the palm of her hand. When tragedy hits, who will she become? Will she be able to control the power she wields and use it for good?

Cover Reveal: A Bond of Sovereigns and Souls by Karen Tomlinson

Hey guys! I hope you are all having a good weekend. I have a cover reveal for you guys today for the third book in one of my favourite series! I saw this cover a while back and I have just been WAITING to host it on this blog because I am so in love with it!

A Bond of Sovereigns and Souls by Karen Tomlinson

Expected Publication: June 16th 2018 – Self Published

Pre order on Amazon

A shattered bond. A world at war.

Diamond has learned to beat the odds but soon discovers triumph in one battle does not win a war.

The fae kingdom is in turmoil. The lord of Chaos is coming.

Ripped apart from Hugo, the fae warrior who holds her heart, Diamond embarks upon a perilous journey. Determined to save the souls of the mortal world, she risks everything to forge vital new alliances. But her only bargaining chip is the blood in her veins. Somehow, she must use it to persuade the sovereigns of the Eight Kingdoms to unite in war.

Utterly alone, Hugo endures unspeakable horrors. Fighting demons of his own, he must confront a painful sacrifice. His only hope? That the mighty dragons heed his plea for help. His world and heart will be doomed if he cannot save Diamond before the darkness can end her.

A Bond of Sovereigns and Souls is an action packed, high fantasy tale that will astound lovers of Sarah J Maas and Sabaa Tahir, transporting them into a world of magic, wizards and war.

*Readers will delight in this third instalment of The Goddess and the Guardians, a young adult fantasy series by USA Today bestselling author Karen Tomlinson.

I beta read this back in February and I absolutely loved it – so many things changed within this book that affected the way the whole series is going and I am so excited for the final book!

Circle of Ashes by Elise Kova and Lynn Larsh

Circle of Ashes by Elise Kova and Lynn Larsh

Expected Publication: April 9th 2018 by Silver Wing Press

EVERY WISH HAS A COST BUT WILL THE SOCIETY BE WILLING TO PAY IT?

Once a hacker-for-hire living in the shadows, Josephina “Jo” Espinosa is the newest member of a magical Society. Their mandate? To grant the wishes of mortals. A simple enough task until Jo is faced with an impossible wish – and her inability to grant it might spell disaster for her entire team, if not the Society itself.

Jo is used to high-pressure situations, but after a string of disasters, the last thing she needs is stakes of this magnitude. Especially given that neither she nor the Society know quite what the consequences of failing to grant a wish might be.

The only person with answers is the Society’s aloof and cryptic leader, Snow. Yet while Jo is enigmatically drawn to the man, all their clandestine encounters leave her with only more questions about the true nature of the Society, her magic, and her own history.

Time is running out for the Society, and an executioner will rise from among them to exact the price of failure.

Note: I received an ARC copy of this via the authors for an honest review. This in no way influences my opinion.

After reading Society of Wishes, I was anxious to get my hands on this book. I loved the first book and I just needed to know how this story and world were going to develop – and I was not disappointed. This book had me so hooked and I fell in love with this world even more!

I think the best thing about this book was the wave of emotion on every single page. The authors really did a great job of making the emotions jump off the pages and it really added to my reading experience! I was invested in each and every character… well.. almost every character ( I hate Pan, #justsaying) and I really felt everything they were feeling throughout the book. It felt as if I were there with them and friends with them. There were times that I was crying ugly tears because I was so invested and affected by what was going on.

The book was extremely easy to get lost in. The character and plot developments, along with the world building and the emotions really swept me up into this world and kept me turning the pages. I had to know what was going to happen next and I ended up reading this book in one sitting because of that!

We got to know more about the characters and how they came to be in the society! I loved the fact that we got into some of the characters wishes and how different they seem! I loved the fact that the authors used actual historical events and based a couple of wishes around them explain why history took the turn that it did – along with creating their own histories (since the book is set in the future) to explain history affecting the characters as well. I also liked the fact that, whilst some of the wishes were on a larger scale that affected the course of history, other wishes really only impacted the characters themselves and the people in their lives. It was an even balance between the two and I liked the fact that not every character did something to help a whole nation of people because it kept the characters relatable.

We also got a little more into Snows character and I am infatuated! I was so intrigued by him in book one and I just kept gravitating toward him as a reader and wanting to know more about him – the same can be said about this one! I am still extremely intrigued by him and the history that he and Jo share and … I just want to know  everything, ok? He’s been around the longest and has seen everything and I just want to know what he knows… I am also completely and utterly curious about what his history is and how he ended up in the/creating the society! I need answers!

As mentioned previously, I hate Pan. I don’t want to go too much into it because spoilers, but I hate her character. She is such a dark and twisted character and, whilst I am intrigued to know more about her and how she ended up the way that she did, I also just want her to be killed off already. She still reminds me of a gender reversed Peter Pan, but an evil one.

I don’t want to get too much into the ending because, again, spoilers, but it broke me. I loved the fact that the authors didn’t take an easy ending and showed the idea that some things just don’t work out the way you expect them to, but it still broke me. I cried ugly tears for a good long while after finishing the book!

All in all, I absolutely loved this instalment! I enjoyed both the character and the plot development and the wave of emotions that left each and every page! I gave this book 5/5 stars.