Review | Reign of Mist

Title: Reign of Mist
Author: Helen Scheuerer
Publisher Info / Release: Talem Press | September 13, 2018
Source: E-ARC from the author
Rating: 5 / 5 *’s
Synopsis:

The realm’s darkest secret is out.

The cruelty of the capital and the power-hungry King Arden have scattered Bleak and her companions across the continents.

On the run in a foreign land, Bleak finds herself tied to some unexpected strangers. When the answers she yearns for are finally within reach, she must face the hard truths of her past, and take her fate into her own hands before it’s too late.

Meanwhile, secrets and magic unravel as a dark power corrupts the realm. Bleak’s friends are forced to decide where their loyalties lie, and who, if anyone, they can trust.

But one thing is certain: war is coming, and they must all be ready when it does.

Thank you, Helen, for sending me a free copy of your book in exchange for an honest review! If you haven’t read Heart of Mist, this review may contain spoilers.

Review | Rule

Title: Rule
Author: Ellen Goodlett
Publisher Info / Release: Little Brown Books for Young Readers / September 11, 2018
Source: ARC from The NOVL
Rating: 4.5 / 5 *’s
Synopsis:
Three girls. Three deadly secrets. Only one can wear the crown.

The king is dying, his heir has just been murdered, and rebellion brews in the east. But the kingdom of Kolonya and the outer Reaches has one last option before it descends into leaderless chaos.

Or rather, three unexpected options.

Zofi has spent her entire life trekking through the outer Reaches with her band of Travelers. She would do anything to protect the band, her family. But no one can ever find out how far she’s already gone.

Akeylah was raised in the Eastern Reach, surrounded by whispers of rebellion and abused by her father. Desperate to escape, she makes a decision that threatens the whole kingdom.

Ren grew up in Kolonya, serving as a lady’s maid and scheming her way out of the servants’ chambers. But one such plot could get her hung for treason if anyone ever discovers what she’s done.

When the king summons the girls, they arrive expecting arrest or even execution. Instead they learn the truth: they are his illegitimate daughters, and one must become his new heir. But someone in Kolonya knows their secrets, and that someone will stop at nothing to keep the sisters from their destiny… to rule.

Magic, mystery, and blackmail abound in the first book of this sensational and striking fantasy duology.

Thank you to The NOVL for sending me this ARC for free in exchange for an honest review!

Wonder Woman: Warbringer Review

Title: Wonder Woman: Warbringer
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Publisher Info / Release: Penguin Random House / August 29, 2017
Source: ARC from Penguin Random House
Rating: 4 / 5 *’s
Synopsis: 

She will become one of the world’s greatest heroes: WONDER WOMAN. But first she is Diana, Princess of the Amazons. And her fight is just beginning. . . .
Diana longs to prove herself to her legendary warrior sisters. But when the opportunity finally comes, she throws away her chance at glory and breaks Amazon law—risking exile—to save a mere mortal. Even worse, Alia Keralis is no ordinary girl and with this single brave act, Diana may have doomed the world.

Alia just wanted to escape her overprotective brother with a semester at sea. She doesn’t know she is being hunted. When a bomb detonates aboard her ship, Alia is rescued by a mysterious girl of extraordinary strength and forced to confront a horrible truth: Alia is a Warbringer—a direct descendant of the infamous Helen of Troy, fated to bring about an age of bloodshed and misery.

Together, Diana and Alia will face an army of enemies—mortal and divine—determined to either destroy or possess the Warbringer. If they have any hope of saving both their worlds, they will have to stand side by side against the tide of war.

I was given this ARC for free for an honest review of the book. 

A Court of Frost and Starlight Review

Title: A Court of Frost and Starlight
Author: Sarah J Maas
Publisher Info / Release: Bloomsbury / May 1, 2018
Source: Amazon
Rating: 4 / 5 *’s
Synopsis: Feyre, Rhys, and their close-knit circle of friends are still busy rebuilding the Night Court and the vastly-changed world beyond. But Winter Solstice is finally near, and with it, a hard-earned reprieve. Yet even the festive atmosphere can’t keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, she finds that those dearest to her have more wounds than she anticipated–scars that will have far-reaching impact on the future of their Court.

 

The Traitor’s Kiss Review

Title: The Traitor’s Kiss
Author: Erin Beaty
Publisher Info / Release: Imprint / May 9, 2017
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 3.75 / 5 *’s
Synopsis: 
An obstinate girl who will not be married.
A soldier desperate to prove himself.
A kingdom on the brink of war.

With a sharp tongue and an unruly temper, Sage Fowler is not what they’d call a lady―which is perfectly fine with her. Deemed unfit for marriage, Sage is apprenticed to a matchmaker and tasked with wrangling other young ladies to be married off for political alliances. She spies on the girls―and on the soldiers escorting them.

As the girls’ military escort senses a political uprising, Sage is recruited by a handsome soldier to infiltrate the enemy ranks. The more she discovers as a spy, the less certain she becomes about whom to trust―and Sage becomes caught in a dangerous balancing act that will determine the fate of her kingdom.

I received this book from NetGalley for free in exchange for an honest review. May contain some slight spoilers.  To me, this was a Poison Study meets Kiss of Deception. So if you liked either of those books, you’d most likely enjoy this one as well!

Tag: RIP It or SHIP It

My close friend Rachel and I were talking about a YouTube we both recently saw by PeruseProject and it was the “RIP it or SHIP it” tag.  I really enjoyed watching what pairings she ended up with and I wanted to do my own. There was one during her video that I particularly LOVED the idea of so I’ll put that particular “ship” as a bonus after my own drawings.

---

Here’s how you can play this game:

1. Write down characters from books on slips of paper
2. Put them in a jar/bowl/hat/mug and pick 2
3. Decide if you ship it or R.I.P. it (R.I.P. it means you don’t ship them, but not necessarily that you want them dead)

For mine, I picked a couple of books that I could get some “good” and “bad” characters to see what kind of ships I could come up with. The books I used are: A Court of Thorns and Roses, Six of Crows, Game of Thrones, Stalking Jack the Ripper, The Remnant Chronicles, Roar and The Infernal Devices. Now, click below to read the fun! (Also, some of the names are smaller than I anticipated but I felt like it was too late to redo everything. Hopefully it doesn’t look too bad on your devices!)

Roar Full Review

Title: Roar
Author: Cora Cormack
Publisher Info / Release: TorTeen / June 13, 2017
Source: ARC that was passed on to me.
Rating: 5 / 5 *’s
Synopsis: New York Times bestselling author Cora Carmack’s young adult debut: Roar.

In a land ruled and shaped by violent magical storms, power lies with those who control them.

Aurora Pavan comes from one of the oldest Stormling families in existence. Long ago, the ungifted pledged fealty and service to her family in exchange for safe haven, and a kingdom was carved out from the wildlands and sustained by magic capable of repelling the world’s deadliest foes. As the sole heir of Pavan, Aurora’s been groomed to be the perfect queen. She’s intelligent and brave and honorable. But she’s yet to show any trace of the magic she’ll need to protect her people.

To keep her secret and save her crown, Aurora’s mother arranges for her to marry a dark and brooding Stormling prince from another kingdom. At first, the prince seems like the perfect solution to all her problems. He’ll guarantee her spot as the next queen and be the champion her people need to remain safe. But the more secrets Aurora uncovers about him, the more a future with him frightens her. When she dons a disguise and sneaks out of the palace one night to spy on him, she stumbles upon a black market dealing in the very thing she lacks—storm magic. And the people selling it? They’re not Stormlings. They’re storm hunters.

Legend says that her ancestors first gained their magic by facing a storm and stealing part of its essence. And when a handsome young storm hunter reveals he was born without magic, but possesses it now, Aurora realizes there’s a third option for her future besides ruin or marriage.
She might not have magic now, but she can steal it if she’s brave enough.

Challenge a tempest. Survive it. And you become its master.

**Post may contain some slight spoilers referring to characters, so read at your own discretion 🙂 **

Ever the Hunted Review

Title: Ever the Hunted (Book 1)
Author: Erin Summerhill
Publisher Info / Release: HMH Books / December 27 2016
Source: UpperCase Box
Rating: 3.5 / 5 *’s
Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Britta Flannery is at ease only in the woods with her dagger and bow. She spends her days tracking criminals alongside her father, a legendary bounty hunter–that is, until her father is murdered. The alleged killer is none other than Cohen Mackay, her father’s former apprentice. The only friend she’s ever known. The boy she once loved who broke her heart.     She must go on a treacherous quest in a world of warring kingdoms, mad kings, and dark magic to find the real killer. But Britta wields more power than she knows. And soon she will learn what has always made her different will make her a daunting and dangerous force. 

**Post contains some spoilers, so read at your own discretion 🙂 **

Roar Excerpt Review

Title: Roar
Author: Cora Carmack
Release Date: June 13, 2017
Synopsis: 

In a land ruled and shaped by violent magical storms, power lies with those who control them.

Aurora Pavan comes from one of the oldest Stormling families in existence. Long ago, the ungifted pledged fealty and service to her family in exchange for safe haven, and a kingdom was carved out from the wildlands and sustained by magic capable of repelling the world’s deadliest foes. As the sole heir of Pavan, Aurora’s been groomed to be the perfect queen. She’s intelligent and brave and honorable. But she’s yet to show any trace of the magic she’ll need to protect her people.

To keep her secret and save her crown, Aurora’s mother arranges for her to marry a dark and brooding Stormling prince from another kingdom. At first, the prince seems like the perfect solution to all her problems. He’ll guarantee her spot as the next queen and be the champion her people need to remain safe. But the more secrets Aurora uncovers about him, the more a future with him frightens her. When she dons a disguise and sneaks out of the palace one night to spy on him, she stumbles upon a black market dealing in the very thing she lacks—storm magic. And the people selling it? They’re not Stormlings. They’re storm hunters.

Legend says that her ancestors first gained their magic by facing a storm and stealing part of its essence. And when a handsome young storm hunter reveals he was born without magic, but possesses it now, Aurora realizes there’s a third option for her future besides ruin or marriage. 

She might not have magic now, but she can steal it if she’s brave enough. 

Challenge a tempest. Survive it. And you become its master.