Tag Archives: Fantasy

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New Review: Deliverance by C.J. Redwine

Title: Deliverance
Author: C.J. Redwine
Series: Couriers Daughter Trilogy
Rating: ★★★★★

Deliverance

I have been anticipating this book for a while. Defiance and Deception set the bar high, but I had faith that Redwine would deliver. Something about how well she crafted the characters and created the world made me believe she would be able to not only meet my expectations, but also surpass them. With Deliverance, she did.

Creating a wonderful romance, and then separating the characters might put off some people. It could show the characters’ weaknesses, or even turn them from characters I once loved to characters I find annoying. Yet when Redwine did it, I saw the reasoning. I saw how Rachel wasn’t ready to face Logan yet. I understood how Logan needed to do this on his own first. Their romance was sweet and wonderful first. Deliverance is what made them real.

The rest of the story kept me guessing. These characters constantly found themselves taking one step forward, only to be shoved three steps back. Just when they think they’ve got a plan, someone throws a wrench and their plan has to change. Separately, Logan and Rachel are working with friends to reach an ultimate goal of destroying the tech that controls the Cursed One and removing the Commander from his power.

I think the most interesting thing about Deliverance is that Redwine takes the villainous characters, characters that you don’t want to like, and makes them relatable. You see that the Commander has his weaknesses and vulnerabilities. You see what him the man he is in the story. People aren’t born evil, and Redwine shows that.

I’m sad to see the Defiance series end. I’ve fallen in love with Rachel and Logan. I want to have friends like Quinn and Willow. As much as I wish there was more story to tell though, Deliverance ended the way it should. The story had reached its end and the characters were ready to move on. Deliverance is one of the best examples of how to end a series that I’ve ever read. Definitely put this entire series on your “To Read” list.

If you think Deliverance sounds like a good read, you can purchase a copy here:
Amazon
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IndieBound

Thank you to Edelweiss and Balzer + Bray for an advance copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Arcana by Jessica Leake

Title: Arcana
Author: Jessica Leake
Rating: ★★★★

ArcanaArcana started off a little shaky for me. It wasn’t that it was bad, but it didn’t hook me right away. I continued reading, though, mostly because I’m a history nut and this book has some history in it. After the rocky start, things really started to pick up, and I found myself unable to put the book down until I had finished.

Katherine Sinclair is different from most people in more than a few ways. As a girl, she’s completely uninterested in going to London for her debut. She doesn’t really think she needs a husband, and she finds the social rules smothering. She also has the power of the sun inside her. She can call upon this power for magic, and even though she keeps it hidden most of the time, sometimes she can’t help but let her magic flow. On top of this, she is forced to London where the handsome Earl of Thornewood is her companion. She must figure out who is part of the Order whose only goal is to harness the power of Arcana through destructive means, while trying to maneuver London society.

Katherine didn’t connect with me right away. Her character felt a little out of reach. Once she made it to London, where she struggles with keeping her true character hidden behind the picture society paints, I started to like her more. She has a quick wit, and sometimes her mouth runs without thinking. She thinks of her family first, and cares deeply for anyone who she considers close to her. She also knows that she can’t depend on anyone else for her safety. She may not always be ready to fight, but she’ll try to find a way to keep herself from harm.

The two male characters in this novel were interesting. I would have liked maybe a little more mystery about who was good and who was bad, but I’ll take what I can get. It was pretty clear from the moment both characters were introduced how they would be divided. While there’s really nothing wrong with this, sometimes I like to guess.

The plot itself was interesting. I would have liked a little more weaving of the arcana into the story. I think the novel could have easily read as a good book without the magical element. I wanted the magic there, though. Near the end, it became more of the storyline, but I would have liked more throughout the entire novel.

Arcana started off slow, but soon I was completely drawn into the world Leake created. She has a beautiful writing style and she really made me interested in the characters’ lives. It’s a good book, although you’ll have to like historical fiction and debutante politics.

If you’d like to read Arcana, you can purchase it here:
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Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher, Talos, for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: (Don’t You) Forget About Me by Kate Karyus Quinn

Title: (Don’t You) Forget About Me
Author: Kate Karyus Quinn
Rating: ★★★★

Don't You Forget About Me

This book messed with my head. In a good way. It’s a complete trip of a book, from beginning to end. Just when I thought I had a handle on what was going on, something would happen that would completely throw me off again.

Gardnerville is a special place. People don’t get sick there. It just doesn’t happen. And sick people who move to the town suddenly aren’t sick anymore. But it comes at a price. Every four years, a teen explodes with deadly consequences. The book begins in the middle of one of these fourth years, just dropping the reader right into the town. Skylar uses pills to forget the past, a past where her sister led teens to their death four years ago. But something finally stops Skylar from forgetting. The secrets she’s held for years have to come out. And as little pieces of the truth appear the story becomes even more confusing and amazing.

Skylar is an interesting character. She just wants to forget what happened to her family. She wants to forget that her sister was the cause of the last fourth year destruction. She wants to forget about the evil that possesses her town. She just wants to forget. But forgetting means she can’t move forward with her life. As her secrets are shown, between flashbacks and the present day, she becomes a great character. It’s clear she knows what she has to do for her town, even though only little pieces are shown at a time.

The town is a character itself. It has a strange power to heal people, but it’s not without a price. The town gives, but it also takes. It really made me think about what price I would pay for complete health. A small connection I made to the novel is that the mother of the book had the same disease I do, cystic fibrosis. Obviously, since she lives in the town, it’s not a problem for her anymore. But it made me think about if living in fear of external death would be enough for me to cure my internal death. I can certainly understand why the mother lives in the town, but her life isn’t perfect. She traded one pain for another. It’s an interesting thought; to examine what price a person would pay for perfect health.

I’m going to be honest. I was completely confused for the majority of the novel. But it was confusion I enjoyed, because it meant Quinn has weaved an intense story. Every little piece she gives you s dropped without much context, leaving you to try and piece it together. It’s like putting together a puzzle that doesn’t have a picture until every piece has found its place. You’re working to solve a puzzle where you can hardly figure out where each piece goes.

This is not a book anyone can pick up and enjoy. You have to be able to suspend reason and take the events that happen for what they are. If you can do that, then (Don’t You) Forget About Me is a fantastic book.

If you think (Don’t You) Forget About Me is a book you’d like to read, you can purchase it here:
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Thank you to Edelweiss and HarperTeen for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Sleep No More by Aprilynne Pike

Title: Sleep No More
Author: Aprilynne Pike
Rating: ★★★

I’m sure there will be some people who have issues with this book. It’s a snapshot of Charlotte’s life as an Oracle, not her life story. Because of that, it only details the events that have such a huge impact on her as a teen, that the rest of her life will always feel the effects. I’m glad it’s a standalone novel. It was entertaining, but dark.

Charlotte is an Oracle. She gets visions of the future. After she changes the future to save her aunt, her father dies. From that moment on, she works hard to keep her Oracle side pushed away, resisting visions anytime they start to come. She’s seen how altering with the future can backfire and she never wants to risk that again. Then, she starts getting visions of her classmates’ murders. She feels guilty she can’t save them. To her, what good are visions when she can’t do anything about them? So when someone new comes into her life, claiming to know what she is and how she can use her visions to change the future, she jumps at the chance.

There were moments I wanted to shake some sense into Charlotte. From the outside, I could see how her choices could end up backfiring. I could sense that things weren’t right. But I also felt for Charlotte. She wants to know all she can about being an Oracle. She finds comfort in in knowledge. The unknowns are what make her question everything. Her aunt, the one in change of teaching her how to be an Oracle, holds back information, claiming she doesn’t need to know it yet. It’s because of this that she jumps on the change to learn more, even if it’s from someone she doesn’t really know.

The mystery and suspense in this novel were fantastic. I never really knew what would happen next. It’s clear that there is a serial killer, but the identity is hidden. Even in her visions, Charlotte is unable to find out any clues on who she is fighting against. The entire novel had this feeling of darkness, but it wasn’t heavy with it. There were light moments when Charlotte could just be a teenager before having to try and fight an evil she doesn’t know again. The pace of the novel is perfect, giving just enough information for one question to be answered before throwing in even more questions. This kept me on the edge of my seat, unable to put the novel down.

Sleep No More was a fantastic novel. It was fast-paced, but it never felt like things were moving too quickly. Pike would slow the novel down for a few moments before throwing something new in. It created a novel that ad me engaged and wondering with every page. I’m looking forward to reading more from Pike.

If Sleep No More sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

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

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Review: The Taking by Kimberly Derting

Title: The Taking
Author: Kimberly Derting
Series: The Taking Trilogy
Rating: ★★★

After reading Derting’s other novels, I knew The Taking was going to be a book I wanted to read. It was different from her other novels, and after starting to read, I could tell it was either going to really pull me in, or I was going to struggle to finish it. Books that are connected to the science fiction genre are not usually my thing. They have to be done really well for me to enjoy them.

Kyra was in the car, having an argument with her father about colleges, when she demands he pulls over so she can walk to her team’s championship celebration. Once out of the car, she vanishes. All she remembers is a flash of light, and then nothing. The next thing she is aware of is her being by a dumpster with no recollection of how she got there. When she returns to her home, she finds a man and a child she doesn’t know there. Across the street, where her boyfriend lives, she finds he is gone and his younger brother has grown up. 5 years have passed since she vanished and nothing is the same.

Kyra is thrown into a new world where she doesn’t know what is going on. People want things from her; they want to know where she went and why she’s been gone for years. She’s become obsessed with time, not wanting to lose anymore of it. Her best friend and her boyfriend have moved on. Her family has been torn apart. She doesn’t recognize anything about her life now. She’s still 16 and trying to cope with everything. I find I was forgiving her for things I’d usually find annoying in a character. To me, her choices were understandable. She’s trying to fall back into a life that vanished. Her decisions wouldn’t always be the best, but she showed a maturity I was grateful for.

The relationship between Kyra and Tyler seemed to develop just a little too fast for my taste. Yes, they had great chemistry and Tyler was a wonderfully sweet boy, it felt a little odd for Kyra tog o from viewing him as the kid brother of her boyfriend to imagining a relationship with him. I would have liked a little more development of the relationship between the two before it turned romantic. At times, despite being great boyfriend material, it felt like Tyler’s attempts to make Kyra happy felt more like a little kid with a crush instead of two equal people finding their way together.

I don’t want to reveal too much of the plot because this is a book that needs to unfold at just the right pace. In all honesty, if I had known what one of the major plot points would be, I probably wouldn’t have read it. But Derting wrote the novel in such a way that it didn’t feel cheesy or wrong. It felt like it was a perfect piece of the puzzle. I’m really looking forward to what comes next. The cliffhanger has me anxious.

Despite a few flaws, The Taking was a good book that definitely pulled me in and has me ready and anxious for the next piece of the story. Derting has another great series on her hands.

If The Taking sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
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Audible
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Thank you to HarperTeen and Edelweiss for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Title: The Winner’s Curse
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Series: The Winner’s Trilogy
Rating: ★★★★★

Okay. I had to sleep on this review. I couldn’t pull my thoughts together enough after finishing the novel. My jaw was on the floor and my head was a mess. In the best way, of course. The Winner’s Curse is a book I never thought I needed to read. I wasn’t sure Rutkoski could make me feel the relationship between slave and owner was a real one. There’s so many ways it could have felt wrong, but it never did.

Kestrel is the daughter of the general’s daughter. She’s part of the town’s elite, but that doesn’t mean she is treated differently than other people. She must either join the military or marry. She doesn’t want to do either. On a whim, she purchases a slave one day. This goes against everything she feels is right, as she’s one of the few people in the city that feels like owning people isn’t right. But Arin, called Smith in the beginning, comes to her home and the two form an odd relationship. Arin is not what he seems and in him, Kestrel finds someone she doesn’t have to hide from.

Kestrel was an amazing character. She’s not a fighter. She’s a strategist. Her abilities with weapons go about as far as protection, but she’s able to strategize and analyze situations better than most people. She’s not a boy-crazy teen. She sees through flirtations and knows her feelings on the people she’s grown up with. She begins to doubt herself when Arin challenges her feelings and beliefs. Despite not being as confident in herself as she was in the beginning, she never loses the belief that she can accomplish whatever she needs to. She is constantly strategizing and figuring out her next best move.

Arin is just as amazing. He’s definitely not what he seems, but it provides his character the ability to change. He’s a slave, a resident of the city from before the people were conquered and either killed or sold. He has harbored an anger and resentment towards the people who reduced his people to slaves for 10 years. I did have a hunch about his role in the novel, but that didn’t make me love him any less. His growth from the time Kestrel buys him to the end of the novel is fantastic. I really can’t say much about why I love his character so much without giving away events of the novel, but I can’t wait to read more about him.

This novel has twists and turns all the time. Just when I thought I had things figured out, something new was thrown in the mix that left me reeling or picking my jaw off the floor. Like my hunch with Arin, I had thought I knew how the story would go. I was right about some things, but Rutkoski threw me for a loop at times. I was on the edge of my seat. I didn’t want the novel to end, but when it did, I was shocked and needing more.

The Winner’s Curse is one of the best world-building books I’ve read. You’re thrown right into the action, but never feel like an outsider. The characters are fantastic and the growth from the beginning of the novel to the end was superb. Rutkoski has an amazing series on her hands and I’m really looking forward to reading what comes next for Kestrel and Arin.

If The Winner’s Curse sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Audible
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IndieBound

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Review: The Midnight Witch by Paula Brackston

Title: The Midnight Witch
Author: Paula Brackston
Rating: ★★★★

Brackston is no stranger to writing witch novels. She’s set one in the 17th and 19th century, and now she tackles the time around World War I. I think Brackston’s writing style is one that you definitely have to like, but she can write an amazing novel. The Midnight Witch took a little while to get going, but once it did, I couldn’t put it down.

Lilith is the daughter of the 6th Duke of Radnor. Her father is also the Head Witch of the Lazarus Coven. When he dies, Lilith’s brother becomes the 7th Duke of Radnor, and she becomes the Head Witch. From the beginning, her reign in challenged. People aren’t sure if a young female can truly lead the coven. But she has support and eventually gains the respect of the other witches. At the same time she’s learning how to lead, a group of sorcerers are trying to get the Elixir, the secret the Lazarus coven protects. She’s also learning what it’s like to fall in love for the first time. With the threat of war looming, Lilith must learn how to balance all areas of her life before everything she works to protect is gone.

I like Lilith. She knew what she wanted, and even though she had moments of self-doubt, she never backed down when she knew her choice was right. She’s up against great odds, in all areas of her life, but she tries to keep that from overwhelming her. She learns to balance her duties and her desires well. She’s not the typical woman of the time and she knows what it’s time to adjust her ways of thinking to fit the times.

Bram, the love interest, wasn’t my favorite, but he wasn’t horrible. He was devoted and hopelessly in love, even if it felt like it happened a little fast. This might be because we don’t get to see all of their interactions before they declare love, so it didn’t bother me too much. Louis, the man Lilith is engaged to, isn’t too bad either. It’s easy to see how much he loves and cares for her. They’ve grown up together and that’s given him the time to develop feelings for her. It’s clear to see both men will help Lilith in whatever way they can, whenever she needs them.

The storyline was interesting. It started a little slow, with a lot of set-up taking place. I can appreciate it, but it still felt a little slow. Once things began happening, however, I couldn’t stop reading. I had to know what was going to happen next and there was never an easy time to stop. There was always a reason for me to keep reading.

Brackston has another great book on her hands with The Midnight Witch. It might take a little while to get into it, but once you get drawn in, it’s hard to break away. The Midnight Witch takes on a different tone than her other novels, but it’s still just as wonderful.

If The Midnight Witch sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
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IndieBound

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Lady Thief by A.C. Gaughen

Title: Lady Thief
Author: A.C. Gaughen
Series: The Scarlet Trilogy
Rating: ★★★★★

Sometimes I get really angry when I finish a book. So angry I can’t speak for a while. When I get this kind of anger, it’s not because I didn’t like a book. It’s because I liked it so much I’m mad I finished the book. And in the case of Lady Thief, I’m mad I didn’t make myself wait because now I have another break between books.

Scarlet’s secrets are out. She’s not Will Scarlet, boy thief. She’s Lady Marian, Lord Gisbourne’s betrothed. He’s hunted her down and she was forced to marry him to save Robin. She refuses to play wife, though, and returns to her band, knowing that she loves Robin and he loves her. But when Lord Gisbourne returns and makes a deal with Scarlet, she knows better than to trust him; she just can’t see what he’s planning. And with Nottingham in need of a new sheriff, there’s even more at stake.

Scarlet is forced to fight in a different way in Lady Thief. She can’t rely on her experience on the streets. She’s expected to play the part of noblewoman and there’s no place for knives and fighting there. She must think of different ways to fight back and give Robin the best chance she can. The court of Prince John can’t think of her as a noblewoman, but as nothing better than a commoner, someone not worth their time or respect. She finds an ally where she least expects it and uncovers a secret that makes her question everything about her.

The moments between Scarlet and Robin are, for the most part, wonderfully sweet. They love and respect each other, something difficult to find in that time period. Robin is fighting his demons, though, and not every moment is sweet. He has problems that are unknowingly taken out on Scarlet, something he can’t forgive himself for, nor should he. The struggle between them is real and it’s going to be difficult to find their perfect happiness. I have hope that they will continue to fight for each other and the life they want to create together.

Scarlet blew me away. I’ve been anxiously waiting for Lady Thief to be released and it didn’t disappoint. I finished and felt that wonderful anger, the kind that lets me know I just finished an amazing book that I didn’t want to end. Gaughen has a fantastic series on her hands and I’ll be not so patiently waiting for the conclusion. This is a must read novel and series.

If Lady Thief sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

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Review: Split Second by Kasie West

Title: Split Second
Author: Kasie West
Series: The Pivot Point Series
Rating: ★★★★

Here’s the amazing thing about Kasie West. She writes books that, on the surface, are books I wouldn’t go for. But she has such fantastic characters and plots that I can’t help but fall in love. They have the perfect mix of tension, romance, and intrigue. There’s always something pulling me into the story.

Pivot Point was about Addie trying to decide which future to take. Split Second is what comes next. Her memory of her Search has been wiped away by Laila. She doesn’t know what happened in the future she didn’t chose, but after her boyfriend, Duke, admits to only dating her for her Searching abilities and her best friend betrays her, she’s not sure why she didn’t go with the other future. When she leaves the Compound to spend the holidays with her father, things begin happening. Her ability grows and she feels an unexplainable connection with a boy from the normal world, Trevor.

Laila also gets to tell her story in this novel. While Addie is busy trying to figure out the developments in her life, Laila is working on figuring out how to restore memories, something Addie revealed she can do and wants done. Laila will do anything for her best friend, taking risks to try and discover the truth. She ropes Conner into her plans, never expecting him to be immune to her charms.

Both stories are wonderfully written. Addie is looking for an escape. Her life is not what she thought it was and 6 weeks away from Duke and the mess that surrounds him sound like just what she needs. Laila is feeling the guilt over her betrayal. She knows it wasn’t completely her fault, but she still feels horrible for causing Addie any pain. Her desire to fix that bridge, through whatever means necessary, is the driving force that makes her act. Each girl has different motivations, but they come together to bend a past and future for them both.

I cannot believe how well West has written two completely different, yet equally swoon-worthy male characters. Trevor and Connor are different people, motivated by different things, and with completely different personalities, yet I fell for both of them. I already adored Trevor, but this book made me love him even more. Connor didn’t have a book history with me, but that didn’t stop me from loving him.

There was one little piece I wish was addressed in Split Second and that’s the only thing that kept it from being 5 stars. There was a piece of information that was mentioned, but never really explored. Other than that, it was amazing. Kasie West is an author I’ll be watching. Split Second pulled me completely under her spell.

If Split Second sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

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Review: Death Sworn by Leah Cypess

Title: Death Sworn
Author: Leah Cypess
Series: The Death Sworn Trilogy
Rating: ★★★★

Death Sworn takes a girl, places her in a near-impossible situation, and makes her do the impossible. It had action, mystery, and secrets. There’s a little bit of romance in there, but it doesn’t overwhelm the rest of the story. It was a great read.

Ileni is losing her magic. She was once thought to be one of the most powerful sorceresses, but now she’s been sent on a nearly impossible mission. She knows the only reason she was selected was because the Elders knew she’d fail. She was a disappointment to her people and sees this task as the last contribution she can give. She knows it will cost her life, but she is determined to learn all she can about the assassins before that time.

Ileni is not the strongest character physically. She’s losing her magic and has no fight training. She’s living in an underground cavern filled with assassins who know how to kill in as many ways possible. Her only hope is that she lives long enough to find some information that’s valuable. Sorin, the assassin assigned to protect her, helps keep her safe, but she’s not entirely sure she can trust him completely to do that. Every assassin listens and obeys every order the master gives and her life is dependent upon the master not ordering her death.

Ileni is clever and works with what she has. She makes the best out of her waning magic, teaching her classes in a way that doesn’t give her secret away. She learns to fight to protect herself. She questions the morals of herself and the assassins. Sure, she has her flaws, but she finds a way to work around them. She tries to keep those flaws from interfering too much with her goals. She doesn’t make the mistake of trust anyone but herself.

Sorin is commanded to protect her. They develop a friendship that leads to a little something more. Even so, it can be difficult to see Sorin battle between doing things he wants to do and doing the things the master tells him to do. The master saved him and gave him purpose; to go against him doesn’t seem right. I’m glad Ileni, while dependent upon him for protection against the other assassins, doesn’t look to him for everything in her life.

Death Sworn is an excellent fantasy novel that has an interesting setup for what comes next. There’s murder and mystery, magic and power. I can’t wait to read what Ileni does next.

If you’d like to purchase a copy of Death Sworn, you can do so here:
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Thank you to Edelweiss and Greenwillow Books for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange from an honest review.