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.

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the Broke and Bookish

Hey guys! It is time for another TTT and this weeks topic is new-to.us authors we read in 2016! I have so many different authors in mind for this it is crazy! Without further ado, and in no particular order:

10.  Leigh Bardugo – So, I recently read the Grisha trilogy and I absolutely loved it! I cannot even believe that it took me so long to jump on that bandwagon. Now, I am all set to read Six of Crows when my copy turns up from The Book Depository…

9.  Merrie DeStefano – I recently read her upcoming Lost Girls (approved via Netgalley) and I just can’t even describe the feels I had for this book… You guys all need to be adding it to your TBR’s and I need to be checking out more of her books!

8.  Candy Atkins – I adored The Lost Knight and to say I am excited for book 2 would be an understatement…

7.  Louise O’Neill – I gobbled up both Asking For It and Only Ever Yours and I need more from this author!! Please, someone tell me she is planning something fantastic!

6.  Elise Kova – I actually only read the AA series this year and I absolutely loved it. Whilst I did enjoy her upcoming The Alchemists of Loom, I wasn’t as blown away as I was by her first series!

5.  M. R. Carey – Because who doesn’t love themselves some zombies?? I am so glad I decided to read The Girl With All the Gifts!

4.  Luke Taylor – This author is extremely friendly and I am so glad I requested an ARC copy of his Vault of Dreams because I fell in love with it immediately!! I cannot wait for more of his upcoming books and to check out the ones that he has already released!

3.  Morgan Rhodes – After seeing all the hype, I obviously had to check out Falling Kingdoms! I am so glad I did because I loved it! I have the second book waiting on my shelf for me to read as well! 😀

2.  Betsy Schow – Spelled is one of my all time favourite retellings! I was crying, it was just that funny and I cannot even begin to tell you guys my excitement over Wanted!

1.  Karen Tomlinson – Ok, so technically she is a debut author, however, A Bond of Venom and Magic was my favourite read of 2016, so I just had to include her! I absolutely love this author, plus she is extremely friendly! 😀

That’s it from me! These were all new to me authors this year and I am so glad I picked up books from all of these authors! I look forward to reading more from them!

Which authors are new to you? Feel free to let me know in the comments below!

October Wrap Up

Hey guys!! So, I’m coming to you with this wrap up post a little late – but better late than never!! I had a bit of a slower month this month because of the alternating illnesses between me and my son!! So, hopefully November will pick up again!

Read:

The Girl with all the Gifts by M. Carey – 4/5 stars

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas – 5/5 stars

Everlasting Flame by Katelyn Anderson – Review copy received from the author, 4/5 stars

Water’s Wrath by Elise Kova – 4/5 stars

Crystal Crowned by Elise Kova – 4/5 stars – full review still to come!

These Great Affects by Andrew Toy – 4.5/5 stars (there is no goodreads page for this book! Also, the full review is to come!), ARC copy received from the author

Acquired:

A Bond of Venom and Magic by Karen Tomlinson – Physical Copy gifted to me by the author

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake – My pre order copy decided to show up a month later

Non Heir by Rachel E. Carter – This is not available for purchase anywhere, you must sign up for the authors newsletter if you would like a copy!

The Crown’s Dog by Elise Kova (ARC) – I received an ARC of this from Elise, and I am currently reading it!

The Sin Eater’s Daughter by Melinda Salisbury – I bought a copy of this from Amazon 😀

Rebel Spring by Morgan Rhodes – Again, I bought myself a copy from Amazon

Special Posts:

A Bond of Venom and Magic by Karen Tomlinson – Release Day

Fall Activities Book Tag

That’s it for me!! Like I mentioned earlier, it was a bit of a slower month, so I’m hoping that November picks up for me! Especially because I don’t have long left to complete my Goodreads Goal!!

I also ordered the October box from Meraki Candles, however they had some issues with postal service, so I am hoping it arrives soon!! As soon as it does, I will be posting my very first unboxing! 😀

How did October go for you guys?

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the Broke and Bookish

Hey guys!! It is time for another TTT and this week I am being resourceful for once and I am writing this on a Monday evening whilst my son is in bed!! I tend to write these posts with my son making a grab for my laptop! 😀 I call this progress ;-). This weeks topic is Books that I have read based on other reviewers recommendations/reviews. I have picked up quite a few books because I have read reviews and Just think that I have to read it! So, these are my top ten, and in no particular order:

10.  The Girl with All the Gifts by M. R. Carey. I read this pretty recently, but I think I would never have picked it up if I hadn’tve read it if I didn’t read Cait’s review first. If you don’t know who Cait is, then clearly you live under a rock! Her reviews are always amazing, whether good or bad, and I absolutely lover her! Check out Paper Fury!

9.  Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas – Way back when I first started out, I followed a blog called Rainy Tree Reader, and a lot of the books that she read and reviewed were books that I ended up picking up purely because I loved her review style. Sadly, Danica doesn’t write anymore, which I find sad, but I like to go back to her site every now and then.

8.  The Lost Knight by Candy Atkins. I Actually first heard of this book thanks to Olivia at Heir of Glitter. I added it onto my TBR thanks to her review and I snagged a review copy from Xpresso Tours recently and I LOVED it! I am so stoked for book 2!

7.  Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes. I didn’t pick this book up based on one particular reviewer, more like I saw so many amazing reviews that I decided to finally buy a copy! I still need to read the rest of this series, but the first book was amazing!

6.  The Selection by Kiera Cass. Again, I loved the raving review from Danica at Rainy Tree Reader and added it to my TBR pretty much right away. I absolutely loved this series and I cannot wait to see more from this author.

5.  Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi. To be honest, I don’t even remember who I saw this from! I remember seeing a raving review and the cover is obviously to die for, so I went ahead and read it! One of my all time favourite series! 😀

4.  Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma. I have a lot to the Danica for. I wish she still wrote! This is one of my ALL TIME favourite stand alones!

3.  Cinder by Marissa Meyer – Again, this book I picked up based on the multiple raving reviews I read! I still need to read Winter, though. Casually kicking myself right about now!

2.  Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor – Again, a whole bunch of raving reviews! I cannot wait for this authors next book!

1.  The Dragonlance Chronicles by Magaret Weis and Tracy Hickman – My dad owns these books and he recommended them to me ages ago, when I was still in school. I gobbled them all up!! The chronicles and the Dragonlance Legends are are amazing and I recommend them to absolutely everybody! Start with the Chronicles and go onto the Legends afterward! 😀

Thats it from me! So thank you to all you amazing people for recommending and reading and being generally awesome 🙂

What books did you pick up from other people? Feel free to leave links and comments and I will check them all out! 

Find me here:

Instagram/Twitter/Goodreads

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

Published: December 11th 2012 by Razorbill

In the three kingdoms of Mytica, magic has long been forgotten. And while hard-won peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest now simmers below the surface.

As the rulers of each kingdom grapple for power, the lives of their subjects are brutally transformed… and four key players, royals and rebels alike, find their fates forever intertwined. Cleo, Jonas, Lucia, and Magnus are caught in a dizzying world of treacherous betrayals, shocking murders, secret alliances, and even unforeseen love.

The only outcome that’s certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

It’s the eve of war…. Choose your side.

Princess: Raised in pampered luxury, Cleo must now embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of magic long thought extinct.

Rebel: Jonas, enraged at injustice, lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country cruelly impoverished. To his shock, he finds himself the leader of a people’s revolution centuries in the making.

Sorceress: Lucia, adopted at birth into the royal family, discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Heir: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, firstborn son Magnus begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword….

I have had this book on my TBR for ages now. I kept seeing amazing reviews for this book, but it always slipped my mind when I was buying new books from Amazon – however, I remembered one day and decided to buy it. It took me a while to read because I was ill, but I enjoyed it, mostly, when I got around to reading it. It was, however, slow in some places.

The beginning of this book had me gripped. I was not expecting it to start the way it did and for things to escalate as quickly as they did. I thought that, based on the beginning of the book, it was going to be epic. However, it began to lose its momentum, and then it regained it, and then it lost it again, so it was a bit of a mixed bundle.

Magnus was my favourite character. I mean, who doesn’t love a broody prince? I actually felt really sorry for him, even if there were moments where I wanted to slap him myself. I have high hopes that he will redeem himself… and hopefully fall in love with someone other than who is currently in love with! I mean… no!

Cleo was amazing. She was strong willed and always went after what she wanted. She didn’t let anyone stop her, not even the king, and she grows and changes along the way. I loved watching her change throughout the book and she started doing things for others and not just herself. I think her strong will and tenacity will get her pretty far within the series.

I enjoyed reading about the other characters, but they didn’t really make all that much of a lasting impression on me as a reader. I think the book was used to set things up and introduce everyone and everything rather than being plot or character based. I am interested to see what the rest of the series has on store for us!

I gave this book 4/5 stars. I look forward to reading the rest of the series!

Have you read this book? Did you enjoy it? Feel free to leave links and comments.

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the Broke and Bookish

Hey guys! It’s freebie week! So, I was scrolling through the TBR pile on my Goodreads and I found a lot of series that I need to start! Like… a lot a lot. So, I have decided to do my TTT on top ten series I need to start reading… soon! In no particular order:

10.  Wicked by Jennifer L. Armentrout. Published December 8th 2014. I have been meaning to read more of Armentrouts work since I read Don’t Look Back almost 2 years ago. Clearly I need to get around to it!!!

9.  Avery by Charlotte McConaghy. Published February 2nd 2015 by Random House Australia. I have heard so much about this book and I have been meaning to get to it for a while! It definitely looks unique – plus the cover is a bonus!

8.  Storm Siren by Mary Weber. Published August 19th 2014 by Harper Collins. I have been seeing this book floating around a lot lately and it is definitely something I want to read myself and make up my own mind about!

7.  Into the Light by Aleatha Romig Published June 14th 2016 by Thomas and Mercer. Ok, so this was only very recently published, and I have been trying to catch up on my series recently so that I can start some new ones, but I still need to read this book!!

6.  The Outliers by Kimberly McCreight Published May 3rd 2016 by Harper Collins.  Again, this book was only published earlier on this year, but I have heard so much about it since then and I cannot wait to grab my own copy!

5.  Never Never by Colleen Hoover and Tarry Fisher. Published January 7th 2015 by Hoover Ink. I actually already have a copy of this on my kindle waiting for me – I managed to grab a freebie from Amazon! Can’t wait to get stuck into it!

4.  Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes. Published December 11 2012 by Razorbill. This is another book that I have been seeing a lot of recently, despite its publication date coming from 2012!

3.  City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. Published March 27th 2007 by Margaret K. McElderry Books. I have never actually read a Cassandra Clare books that she wrote on her own. I read the Iron Trial a while back, which she co wrote with Holly Black, but this is a series that I clearly need to start! Preferably before someone decides to hit me around the head with this book!

2.  Air Awakens by Elise Kova Published August 27th 2015 by Silver Wing Press. Again, this is another book I have waiting for me on my kindle. I am an impulsive buyer with no self control and it just ends up with me having books pretty much everywhere waiting to be read. Just like this one!

1.  The Queen of All the Dies by Laura Thalassa. Published January 15th 2015 by Lavabrook Publishing Group. This book has been hyped up by pretty much everyone who has read it! I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy!

So thats it! What did you guys choose to do this week? Feel free to leave links and comments and I will check them all out!