Tag Archives: Fantasy

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Review: The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley

Title: The Rose Garden
Author: Susanna Kearsley
Pages: 441 pages paperback, 428 ebook
Rating: ★★★★

Time travel is a tricky thing. A novel written around it can either be wonderful or completely fail. Thankfully, The Rose Garden falls into the wonderful category.

After losing her sister, Eva heads back to the home where they had spent summers growing up. It is where Eva remembers Katrina being happiest, where she wants to spread her ashes. While there, she is faced with the fact that the house will never be the one she remembers because it is missing her sister. She also learns she has the ability to jump through time.

She goes back to the home in 1715, when the owners were two brothers on the wrong side of the crown. They manage to stay just above the law, but there is always the risk of being caught and falling prey to the constable. The more time Eva spends with Daniel, the older brother, the more she starts to fall for him.

She continues to jump back and forth, helping Mark and Susan set up the home so it can continue to operate in the future, all the while realizing that she doesn’t belong at the house at that time anymore. The more she is in the present, the more her heart wants to go back.

Kearsley paints a beautiful picture with her words. I have never been to Cornwall, and yet I could picture everything clearly in my mind. I could smell the see and feel the ground beneath my feet.

I don’t really know what to say about Daniel and Eva’s romance because it was beyond words. It fell exactly how it should have been. They never knew how much time they would have together and so they made the most of it. Daniel did not expect Eva to conform to his society’s standards when it was just the two of them, and Eva gave Daniel a reason to be happy. It was like reading about two puzzle pieces finally fitting together.

The Rose Garden is a fantastic novel about love and what it means to be happy. It also reminds us that home is not always a place with four walls and a roof, it’s about the feeling you have once you find it.

If The Rose Garden sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
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Review: The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson

Title: The Madness Underneath
Author: Maureen Johnson
Series: Shades of London series
Pages: 290 pages hardcover, 304 paperback/ebook
Rating: ★★★★★

I’m always afraid to start book series because the second book rarely lives up to the first. For some reason, the second book always seems like more of a way to get from A to C without really having much of a point. The Madness Underneath is not one of those books. It’s definitely not a book that can stand by itself, but it is its own book and serves a greater purpose than tying book 1 to book 3.

The Madness Underneath deals with the aftermath. The aftermath of the attack on Rory, the aftermath of her newly discovered power, the aftermath of what happened in the bathroom at Wexford. There’s a lot of material to work with in this book and Johnson does a suburb job of handling it all.

Rory has been living at home with her parents, but just wants to get back to her life in London. She wants to go back and act like she’s the same person she was before everything happened. Once back at school, she realized she’s bit off a little more than she can chew. The world didn’t stop for her while she was gone, and now she’s lagging just a little bit behind everyone else.

On top of that, she still has to deal with her new ghost knowledge and powers. There are things going on that only she and a few of her friends know about, but even they aren’t sure how to handle this new situation.

The Madness Underneath didn’t have me fearing every little noise, but it still had a sense of creepiness. There was no way to guess at what was about to happen and the ghosts are still sticking around. This was a book even better than the first. After the major cliffhanger in The Name of the Star, I thought I’d be able to handle anything Johnson threw at me. But the ending of The Madness Underneath punched me in the gut. I simply cannot wait to read what comes next.

If The Madness Underneath sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
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Thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Shadows in the Silence by Courtney Allison Moulton

Title: Shadows in the Silence
Author: Courtney Allison Moulton
Series: Angelfire series
Pages: 469 pages hardcover, 384 ebook
Rating: ★★★★★

Shadows in the Silence blew me away. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading and as soon as I finished, I had that feeling. There’s really no way to describe that feeling, but you know when you have it.

Ellie really comes into her own in this novel. She’s strong, determined, and really figures out who she is. I really liked the focus on Ellie and her humanity. Moulton did an amazing job of speaking about what makes humans human without sounding like she was trying to preach; she wrote about souls perfectly. The struggle Ellie faces between saving the human world and possibly losing herself, or keeping who she is and risking evil taking over is done in a breathtaking way.

Will and Ellie together are fabulous. They realize that while love can make you weak in the knees, it does not make you weak in the heart. It gives you something to fight for when everything looks like it is stacked against you. They rely on each other, but they aren’t dependent upon each other. There’s a wonderful balance of give and take in their relationship and it’s perfect.

I was very hesitant about reading the Angelfire series. I just wasn’t sure if it would be my cup of tea. Moulton’s writing shook me and made me think, really slow down and savor each word she wrote. Ellie and Will’s story is timeless and I’m completely in love with them. Shadows in the Silence is a gripping, fast-paced novel that keeps you turning page after page, needing to know what’s next. Even in the darkest times, Moulton created a world that still had that ray of hope.

This is a definite must-read series for me. Don’t make the mistake I did and pass it up for two years. Read it, and read it as soon as possible.

If Shadows in the Silence sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
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Review: Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton

Title: Wings of the Wicked
Author: Courtney Allison Moulton
Series: Angelfire series
Pages: 516 pages hardcover, 544 paperback, 533 ebook
Rating: ★★★★★

I had heard of Angelfire a couple years ago. I thought it sounded a little meh and predictable. I didn’t look at it again for almost two years, when the final book in the series was getting ready to be released. I both love and hate myself for that decision. I love that by putting reading it off for two years, I don’t have to wait a year to see how the series ends.

I hate myself because that is two years that this book series wasn’t in my life.

Wings of the Wicked was spectacular. If the action and drama of having to destroy the demonic wasn’t enough, Ellie must deal with finding a way to balance every piece of her. She needs to be Gabriel, she needs to be Ellie, and she needs to be Will’s. There is always the worry in her mind of losing one of those pieces and not knowing what her world would be like if a chunk of it was suddenly gone.

Will and Ellie’s romance was superb. It wasn’t the typical Young Adult, teen love angst. Yes, some of that was there, but there was another layer to it because even if they looked young, their souls had been through so much. I felt so caught up in their every interaction, my heart hurting at one moment and soaring the next.

I’m so happy and relieved I was able to get Shadows in the Silence the moment I finished Wings of the Wicked because I would have crumbled if I had to wait. I want to dive right in and let Moulton’s story wrap its arms around me and take me right back into Ellie’s life. I am officially a Courtney Allison Moulton fan.

If Wings of the Wicked sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
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Review: Boundless by Cynthia Hand

Title: Boundless
Author: Cynthia Hand
Series: Unearthly series
Pages: 438 pages hardcover, 448 paperback, 320 ebook
Rating: ★★★★

I’ve been looking forward to reading Boundless for a while. I was nervous and excited and anxious to start it as soon as I got my hands on it. I knew once I started reading, I wouldn’t be able to stop until I had read every last word.

Boundless starts off the fall of Clara’s first year at Stanford. She feels a little alone, even though Angela and Christian are there with her. Angela begins to drift away from her and Christian wants more than she can give. She misses her mom, her Jackson friends, and Tucker. On top of that, she’s trying to balance being a typical college freshman with being an angel. Every choice she makes can alter the lives of those around her.

While I’ve been a huge fan of Tucker for the last two books, I did warm up to Christian. I could see why Clara struggled so much between her feelings for the two. It was a black and white choice. An author has to be amazing in order to make me love both guys in a love triangle, but Hand easily does it. I knew either choice Clara made would be bittersweet.

As for the other important part of any novel, the plot, it was just amazing. It had me anxious, waiting for someone to pop out and say the figurative “Boo!” I was completely engrossed, barely paying attention to anything in the real world. It kept me engaged and interested.

Boundless is the satisfying end to a fantastic paranormal series, definitely one of the best I’ve read. It has strong messages about life and love, and even with the paranormal aspect, it speaks true to life. Finishing a book is always bittersweet, but Boundless ends with hope lighting the future. Amazing book, amazing series, amazing read.

If Boundless sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
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Review: Shades of Earth by Beth Revis

Title: Shades of Earth
Author: Beth Revis
Series: Across the Universe series
Pages: 369 pages hardcover, 383 ebook
Rating: ★★★★★

I’m a pretty picky science fiction reader. It’s rare for me to stumble across a single science fiction novel I fully enjoy. Beth Revis has given me an entire series that I love.

I’m not going to lie. I was a little worried about the world Revis had created outside of Godspeed. I didn’t want a series I loved to end like a bad Sci-Fi movie. Revis proved that all of my worries and concerns were unnecessary. She wrote the best ending this series could possibly have.

Once everyone lands on the surface of the new Earth and wake up the Frozen, the new colony is not only fighting each other, but they are fighting their new home. Every single thing they come across is an unknown. There are things on this new planet no one has ever seen before and it could be perfectly safe or completely deadly. This would be a difficult situation for any group of people, but when there is a major lack of trust between the two main groups of the colony, it will be even worse.

In spite of everything put in front of them, I loved the moments Amy and Elder got to have together. Their happiness and love is a great thing to read in a Young Adult novel. They trust each other, and while there are a few moments of miscommunication, for the most part, they talk to each other. They know things won’t always be easy, but they’d rather face the tough times together than apart.

I can honestly say I had no idea where the plot was going. I never knew what was about to happen next. I was constantly holding my breath, waiting for the next big thing to happen. It was the best feeling I can have when I read a book. Half the fun is in the surprise, and it’s even more fun when the planet is basically a character in its own right.

Shades of Earth is a brilliant end to a suspenseful series. I loved following the journey Amy and Elder took, from the early unfreezing of Amy to their new home on Centauri-Earth. I will certainly miss reading about their lives, but this was the perfect way to end it. The entire series is a must-read.

If Shades of Earth sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
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Review: Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

Title: Through the Ever Night
Author: Veronica Rossi
Series: Under the Never Sky series
Pages: 352 pages hardcover, 341 ebook
Rating: ★★★★★

Wow.

That is what I continuously repeated as I read Through the Ever Night. There really aren’t words for how amazing this book is. It’s not a middle novel full of filler. The characters grow, as do their relationships. The plot progresses, twisting and twirling you along with it.

Aria and Perry are what relationships should be. Of course they would rather lock themselves away, forget their problems, and just be themselves. But they know that’s not how the world works. They spend as much together as they can, but they don’t fall to pieces when the other isn’t by their side. They are strong individually, but even better together.

The story moves along quite a bit and just when you think you know where it’s going, Rossi changes it up. My heart was beating fast and I alternated between trying to read faster and having to close the book to calm myself down.

It’s not often I can become so fully engrossed in a novel that I feel like I’m actually in that world. Rossi’s words wrap around me and pull me right in. I would read anything she puts in front of me.

I fell in love with Under the Never Sky. I don’t know how it’s possible, but I love Through the Ever Night more. This series in one of the most brilliant series I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading and I am dying to get my hands on the finale. This is a must-read series.

If Through the Ever Night sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
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Review: The Goddess Inheritance by Aimee Carter

Title: The Goddess Inheritance
Author: Aimee Carter
Series: Goddess Test series
Pages: 283 pages paperback, 289 ebook
Rating: ★★★★

After the cliffhanger ending of Goddess Interrupted, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book. I wanted to know how Carter would end this lovely series. Despite a couple hang-ups, The Goddess Inheritance was a fantastic book and a perfect way to end the series.

It felt like this was more of a plot-driven novel than a character-driven one. I have no problem with that, but I would have liked a little more Kate and Henry interaction and relationship development. There was a bit of a disconnect between how they said they felt and how they acted. While I can understand some of it, I still feel like there could have been more between them.

I am sure some people will look at how often Kate cries and think she’s weaker in this novel than in the others. I don’t believe that’s true. Crying doesn’t always make you weak, nor is it a sign of weakness. Sometimes, crying means you care so much, there’s no other way for you to express it. And that is why I still think Kate is a strong character. She stands up for herself and what she believes is right. If in doing that, she needs to cry occasionally, then I can’t fault her for it.

The addition of Milo, Kate and Henry’s son, was fantastic. It gave Henry and Kate something more to fight for. It was no longer just them and the counsel they had to think of when making decisions. Now they had a baby to figure into the equation, too. It made them both stop and think each and every plan through to make sure it was the right path to choose.

The one other thing that didn’t feel quite right was the climax of the novel. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed it and reading it made me anxious, but as soon as it happened, I felt like there was a lot of build up and tension and right at the pivotal moment…it fizzled a little bit. The scene still worked, but I had felt like there was going to be something more, and yet it wasn’t there.

Overall, The Goddess Inheritance was an action-packed conclusion to the story of Kate and Henry. The ending is sweet and loving and leaves the future wide open for their family’s happiness. It was a great end to a great series.

If The Goddess Inheritance sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
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Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

Thank you to HarlequinTeen and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Wicked Kiss by Michelle Rowen

Title: Wicked Kiss
Author: Michelle Rowen
Series: Nightwatchers series
Pages: 448 pages paperback, 336 ebook
Rating: ★★★★★

Here’s the thing. Wicked Kiss has a lot of my usual annoyances when it comes to Young Adult novels. There’s insta-love, secrets everywhere, lack of communication…it’s all there. And yet, Rowen was able to write all of that so amazingly well that none of it bothered me, at all. I was completely in love with this book.

It starts off not long after Dark Kiss ends. Sam still hungers for Bishop, the angels and demons are still working together to get rid of the greys in Trinity, and they are searching for Sam’s soul. An angel with a secret agenda falls and becomes part of the group. It’s then discovered that the greys are changing–they either wither completely away, or they become super-greys.

Sam is just as strong as she was in the first book. She doesn’t let anyone walk over her or tell her what to do. She is constantly trying to figure out things on her own, not succumbing to any “damsel in distress” moments. She fights her hunger, fights against the soulless being everyone is waiting for her to become.

Bishop was wonderful. This might sound strange, but I love that Rowen wrote their relationship filled with questions. Are they attracted to each other only because Sam took part of his soul, or is it something more? It made the insta-love work for me. It made it questionable until the end.

The plot was fascinating. Not only does the storyline from Dark Kiss bleed over, but it has its own plot to flesh through. At first I thought it might have been too much to fit into one novel, and man, near the end I had no idea how Rowen was going to be able to finish, but every word was completely worth staying up until 3am for.

Wicked Kiss is a superb novel that has a little bit of everything. Rowen has a real talent for making my heart bleed for these characters and I can’t wait to read more from her. Her Nightwatchers series is a definite must read.

If Wicked Kiss sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Audible
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

Thank you to HarlequinTeen and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: The Essence by Kimberly Derting

Title: The Essence
Author: Kimberly Derting
Series: The Pledge series
Pages: 352 pages
Rating: ★★★★★

I’ve been struggling with how to start this review. I enjoyed this book so much that when I try to think of words to describe it, I can’t. It got my heart racing in the best way.

The book starts up with Charlie adjusting to being queen. There are protocols and rules and knowledge she must learn right away. There are people who don’t like the New Equality and want the old class system back. They aren’t afraid to make that abundantly clear. She is summoned to a meeting of all the queens and on her way there, her life is at risk.

A lot of this novel is a mental battle. There really aren’t any big fight scenes in the action sense, but there is a major battle going on. Charlie is fighting everything in order to remain the same person. She’s fighting Sabara’s essence as she tries to take over Charlie’s body. She’s fighting those that oppose her New Equality changes. She’s fighting the doubts everyone, including her, has about her rule at the moment.

Charlie is not weak. She fights with all she has to make things right for her people. She stands up to people when she’s fighting for something. She knows she must fight to keep Sabara hidden deep inside her mind, where she can’t control Charlie. The few times Sabara was able to take control were Charlie’s moments of weakness.

There’s not as much Max in this book, but when he’s there, he’s amazing. He doesn’t try to control Charlie. He lets her be queen. He just does whatever he can to love her and make her safe. Derting made sure that even though there wasn’t a lot of Max, the times he was there were perfect.

The ending was a perfect way to wrap up the second book while laying the foundation for the third. There’s enough closure to make people happy, but there’s a lot left hanging that needs to be sorted out. I’m on edge with anticipation and can’t wait for the conclusion of this fantastic series.

If The Essence sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound