Review: The Bird and the Sword

THE BIRD AND THE SWORD
Amy Harmon
New Adult/Fantasy
352 pages
Self-published
Available Now
Source: Bought

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Swallow, Daughter, pull them in, those words that sit upon your lips. Lock them deep inside your soul, hide them ‘til they’ve time to grow. Close your mouth upon the power, curse not, cure not, ‘til the hour. You won’t speak and you won’t tell, you won’t call on heav’n or hell. You will learn and you will thrive. Silence, Daughter. Stay alive.

The day my mother was killed, she told my father I wouldn’t speak again, and she told him if I died, he would die too. Then she predicted the king would trade his soul and lose his son to the sky.

My father has a claim to the throne, and he is waiting in the shadows for all of my mother’s words to come to pass. He wants desperately to be king, and I just want to be free.

But freedom will require escape, and I’m a prisoner of my mother’s curse and my father’s greed. I can’t speak or make a sound, and I can’t wield a sword or beguile a king. In a land purged of enchantment, love might be the only magic left, and who could ever love . . . a bird?

MY THOUGHTS
The Bird and the Sword is immensely satisfying from beginning to end, giving us a heroine robbed of words on a beautifully-told journey to find them again amidst the backdrop of a sweeping fantasy epic.

Lark is a Teller, gifted with words that create a call to action when spoken, bringing to life inanimate objects, controlling animals, and healing when needed. After her mother's dying rhyme rips away her ability to speak, she's assumed to be deaf and dumb in addition to being mute, but we're treated to her innermost thoughts and feelings and therefore know she's as smart and strong as they come. She quickly finds herself a pawn in a game of politics, taken from her father and held as insurance to make sure he provides promised assistance to the young king in his war against the monstrous Volgar (vulture-like birdmen). She could have easily spent her days wallowing in self-pity for the position in which she finds herself – in a strange place and forced to be a weapon in the service of her king – but instead she does as she is asked with a quiet pride and a lick of defiance, one that brings a smile to our faces every time she wields it. 

Her romance with King Tiras is of the slow burn variety, one with a start rooted in antagonism as she resents being made into the tip of a spear and hurled at the Vulgar with little care for anything other than her usefulness. Her feelings for Tiras seemingly develop quicker than his for her (though it takes her plenty of time to begin to see him in a romantic light), and she keeps those feelings close to her vest because she knows he's unlikely to return her affection. She is a means to an end for him, an ace up his sleeve in the war against an impossible enemy, and she protects her heart as best she can by defying him in the most perfect of ways when he proves to be too presumptuous.

Their story has my highest recommendation for all those who love apparent underdogs with unparalleled strength, love interests who challenge at every turn, and grand romances that share the spotlight with well-executed paranormal and political wars.

Rating: 5/5

Find Amy:

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Pam Reviews: Dragon Bound

It's a family affair on the blog of late! I always share books I love with my mom and mother-in-law, but my mom especially is a romance lover like me, so I always send my smutty favorites her way. She fell madly in love with one of my very favorite series, and is here today to share her thoughts on book one, Dragon Bound! *high five Mom*

DRAGON BOUND
Elder Races #1
Thea Harrison
Paranormal Romance
312 pages
Berkley Sensation
Available Now
Source: Bought!

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Half-human and half-Wyr, Pia Giovanni spent her life keeping a low profile among the Wyrkind and avoiding the continuing conflict between them and their Dark Fae enemies. But after being blackmailed into stealing a coin from the hoard of a dragon, Pia finds herself targeted by one of the most powerful—and passionate—of the Elder Races.

As the most feared and respected of the Wyrkind, Dragos Cuelebre cannot believe someone had the audacity to steal from him, much less succeed. And when he catches the thief, Dragos spares her life, claiming her as his own to further explore the desire they've ignited in each other.

Pia knows she must repay Dragos for her trespass, but refuses to become his slave—although she cannot deny wanting him, body and soul.

PAM'S THOUGHTS
As most are aware, Dragon Bound is the first book of the Elder Races series written by the talented author, Thea Harrison. I know, I know it was written years ago, but it remains my all-time favorite go-to book when I reach for a reread that I truly loved. It let’s me escape for awhile to enjoy an amazing world with unforgettable characters that evoke a myriad of wonderful feelings. So when asked to write a review of a personal favorite in the paranormal genre, this was instantly chosen. 

The extreme popularity of Dragon Bound bespeaks of Harrison’s exceptional “gift of the written word” and is readily apparent in every component of the book: humorous and witty dialogue, non-stop action that is riveting at times, a plot with twists and turns that keeps the reader turning the pages, and world building that is creative, unique and uncomplicated. But she excels at character development and relationship building, and that sooo does it for me in any book.

Pia and Dragos. Did I mention unforgettable characters? They’re, simply put, magical, literally and figuratively. Dragos is the arrogant, controlling, incredibly powerful, strong-willed hero who demands total obedience and loyalty from all in his Wyr realm. And then there’s Pia, a no mess heroine, who is equally strong-willed, but with a soft, warm heart that melts the Great Beast with understanding, patience and eventually love. This constant push and pull in their relationship and the growth and change in both characters is fascinating and keeps me emotionally engaged. And culminates into a romance that’s as intense as it is entertaining.

The secondary characters are equally addictive. Who can forget the dynamic and petite faerie, Tricks, the skeptical Rune and the tender-hearted Graydon to name but a few. Their development was well constructed throughout, never overshadowing the main characters or detracting from the story. Not surprisingly, these characters now sport their own books.

And yep, with the l-o-n-g Michigan winters I experience, be assured I’ll grab this off my shelf to reread again. I repeat, I truly loved this book – it’s a fun and very good read.

Rating: 5/5 (of course!)

Find Thea:

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Review: Kings Rising

KINGS RISING
Captive Prince Trilogy #3
C.S. Pacat
M/M Fantasy Romance
368 pages
Berkley
Available Now
Source: Finished copy from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Damianos of Akielos has returned.

His identity now revealed, Damen must face his master Prince Laurent as Damianos of Akielos, the man Laurent has sworn to kill.

On the brink of a momentous battle, the future of both their countries hangs in the balance. In the south, Kastor’s forces are massing. In the north, the Regent’s armies are mobilising for war. Damen’s only hope of reclaiming his throne is to fight together with Laurent against their usurpers.

Forced into an uneasy alliance the two princes journey deep into Akielos, where they face their most dangerous opposition yet. But even if the fragile trust they have built survives the revelation of Damen’s identity – can it stand against the Regent’s final, deadly play for the throne?

MY THOUGHTS
The Captive Prince Trilogy is a brutal ride, taking us from a master and slave relationship in a kingdom where beatings and rape are common occurrences, to a fragile friendship where the balance of power is still heavily one-sided, and finally to a meeting of equals and the culmination of all the tension and chemistry bubbling under the surface throughout. 

One of the highlights of this series and this final book in particular is Laurent, one of our princely heroes. Our time in this trilogy is spent with our other prince and hero Damen, his thoughts and feelings made known to us where Laurent's remain hidden, and Laurent never fails to use the fact that we're in the dark to his advantage. In the first two books he's calm and calculating, seemingly unruffled by anyone or anything, and remaining coolly detached for the most part even as his relationship with Damen begins to ever-so slowly change. This final book then feels like a gift to all Laurent fans, moments of levity and humor showing us a side to his character we weren't sure he had given all he's endured, and it's nothing short of immensely satisfying to watch as the emotional armor he's kept immaculately pristine all along finally finds itself with a Damen-shaped chink.

Damen for his part is as steadfast as he has been from the beginning, finally on equal footing with Laurent as his identity is revealed to both their kingdoms, but struggling still with yet another shift in their relationship now that he's reclaimed the mantle of King. His feelings for Laurent grew steadily through the previous two installments, making the first half of this third book downright painful as all the forward progress they made at the end of book two is reversed and Laurent reverts to his coolly detached state. The two of them are both men of few words, and when Laurent speaks it's often with layers of meaning assigned to every phrase, making their romance both beautifully hopeful and heart-wrenching at the same time.

Those who would pick this up thinking it falls under the category of romance should be aware that the first book is in no way a romance, more a character-driven political fantasy, and rape is prevalent both on page and off. The romance between Laurent in Damen picks up steam in book two, though politics and impending war are still what guides the plot, and and it's not truly until this last book that the romance really shines as a focal point. Though hard to read at times in the beginning, this series has my highest recommendation, and is one that will forever sit atop my list of favorites.

Series Rating: 5/5

Find C.S.:

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This book was sent to me by the publisher  free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

Review: Written In Red

WRITTEN IN RED
The Others #1
Anne Bishop
Urban Fantasy
433 pages
ROC
Available Now
Source: Bought

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
As a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut—a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg’s Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hide is at the Lakeside Courtyard—a business district operated by the Others.

Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she’s keeping a secret, and second, she doesn’t smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And when he learns the truth about Meg and that she’s wanted by the government, he’ll have to decide if she’s worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow.

MY THOUGHTS

This review is going to be a little less formal than my standard reviews (I can't help the formality usually, writing reviews brings me back to all my essay-writing classes in school!), mostly because I'm enormously late to The Others party and I kind of want to punch myself in the face a little for it.

For the past year I've been in a pretty impressive reading slump. I've picked up a few winners here and there, but by and large the desire to stay up late and give myself a book hangover has been missing. Written in Red broke me out of my slump in spectacular fashion, reminding me what it's like to invent reasons for taking a break from work throughout the day so I can sneak a chapter or two in, and keeping me up all hours of night just so I can find out what happens next.

While plot-wise this first book is largely Meg's day to day life in the Courtyard as she finds a place for herself among the others, there's absolutely nothing slow or boring about it thanks to a brilliant cast of characters from Ms. Bishop. The Others themselves fit their label to a T, their human skin exactly that – a thin veneer hiding something else entirely underneath. From the Crows obsessed with all things shiny to the sugar-obsessed Ponies to the Elementals with city-annihilating tempers, the inhabitants of this utterly refreshing paranormal world are a joy with whom to spend time.

Meg's relationship with Wolf and Courtyard leader Simon is just one of the many fascinating friendships established in this first installment, the potential for romance between them there but buried beneath layers and layers of things they both need to learn about one another as well as themselves. Watching as they attempt to figure one another is out is surely going to be a highlight of this series overall, and I can't wait to start book two (already loaded on my Kindle) and see how Meg's connections to all the extraordinary Others in the Courtyard continue to strengthen and grow.

Rating: 5/5

Find Anne:

Website • Goodreads • Amazon

Review: Six of Crows

SIX OF CROWS
Six of Crows #1
Leigh Bardugo
Young Adult/Fantasy
480 pages
Henry Holt
Available Now
Source: ARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first.

MY THOUGHTS
Six of Crows is everything we've come to expect from Ms. Bardugo; an extraordinary cast of characters who shine brightly from the darkness of their world to ensure their memory is forever seared into our minds and hearts. This tale could have been pure chaos, five distinct character perspectives as well as sporadic flashbacks to their varied histories ingredients for a jumbled storyline, but in the hands of Ms. Bardugo this dark adventure unfolds smoothly and richly, a gorgeous reveal of a seemingly endless series of layers that keep us on our toes throughout.

While there are six members of Kaz Brekker's team of uniquely talented gutter rats, we get the perspectives of only five of them, and each is given what feels like equal time in the spotlight. What's so impressive about Ms. Bardugo's ability to craft her characters is that none outshine the rest, instead they're all nuanced to a degree that we'll never learn all there is to know about them (Kaz especially), but we'll be damned if we don't want to spend hours on end trying to do just that. All six have their shadowy corners, their secrets and shames. All have pasts riddled with varying degrees of brutality; privilege turned into poverty, dreams turned into dirt and filth, and wishes turned into weapons used for money and revenge, and we're nothing other than spellbound by each and every single one of them.

Ms. Bardugo also possesses an uncanny gift for writing characters to whom we should easily be able to affix the villain label, but yet we find ourselves repeatedly rationalizing their actions, finding ways to excuse the pain they cause in our need to see them redeemed. A need that remains a far cry greater than their own desire to achieve redemption. Kaz is one such character, a young man capable of monstrous actions and cruel words that cut to the bone, yet we latch on to his rare moments of vulnerability and use them to further tint our rose colored glasses. He's absolutely magnetic, a mystery whose motivations we've barely started to grasp by the time we reach the final page, and who will likely continue to surprise us at every turn as this series progresses.

Overall, Six of Crows is stunning from beginning to end, a true triumph of characterization that leaves us in tears over the fact that we must wait a full year to be reunited with these six men and women.

Rating: 5/5
 

Find Leigh

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This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses

A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES
A Court of Thorns and Roses #1
Sarah J. Maas
Young Adult/Fantasy
416 pages
Bloomsbury
Available May 5th
Source: ARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

MY THOUGHTS
Every once in a while when we emerge from a story that's held our undivided attention for so long, blinking blearily at our reality, we find we can focus on nothing other than the desire to return to the first page and start the experience all over again. A Court of Thorns and Roses is very much that type of tale; one that leaves us physically unable to pick up another book for days following the turn of the last page given that doing so would be acknowledging our time with Feyre and Tamlin is temporarily over.

Ms. Maas has the uncanny ability to write characters who are a study in contrasts; a beautiful mess of conflicting attributes that resonate so thoroughly they become unforgettable in a very short amount of time. Feyre is gorgeously strong physically and mentally, providing for her crippled father and two older sisters as they sit comfortably in the tiny cottage they call home and complain about the speed at which Feyre puts food on their table. While confident in her hunting abilities, she's hugely self-conscious with regard to her intelligence, her inability to read and write something that causes her no shortage of shame. What she sees as a flaw though is but one of the many threads that bind us to her emotionally, able to feel her every joy and pain as if it were our own.

Tamlin, though more of a mystery to us given we spend all our time in Feyre's head, is as stunningly layered as she is, comprised of more shades of gray than we would have imagined possible prior to reading. At his core he could be described as good or even heroic, but like Feyre, when challenged and backed into a corner he's capable of making decisions that have brutal consequences for those around him. His relationship with Feyre is deliciously tense, the two of them tiptoeing around one another for much of the first half, trying to figure out how to make the best of a situation that's difficult for all involved. They spare us the drama we might have anticipated given Feyre's essentially kidnapped and forced to live in a world unfamiliar to her, instead proving they are not above apologizing when they make a misstep and constantly choosing to compromise when they could so easily lash out.

While Feyre and Tamlin are highlights, Ms. Maas supports them an extraordinary cast of secondary characters, each with shadows behind their eyes that whisper beseechingly to us as we slip further and further under the spell of this magnificent world, letting us know they have secrets to tell and scars for us to examine more closely. We're left in a very satisfying place, the events of the final hundred pages clearly going to have epic repercussions on this world and its inhabitants, but those repercussions remain firmly on the horizon as we flip the final page. A Court of Thorns and Roses is Ms. Maas at her very finest, giving us a glimpse at an imagination that impresses us more fully with each book we're gifted.

Rating: 5/5

Find Sarah:

 

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This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

Review: The Start of Me and You

THE START OF ME AND YOU
Emery Lord
Contemporary Young Adult
384 pages
Bloomsbury
Available Now
Source: ARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads):
It’s been a year since it happened—when Paige Hancock’s first boyfriend died in an accident. After shutting out the world for two years, Paige is finally ready for a second chance at high school . . . and she has a plan. First: Get her old crush, Ryan Chase, to date her—the perfect way to convince everyone she’s back to normal. Next: Join a club—simple, it’s high school after all. But when Ryan’s sweet, nerdy cousin, Max, moves to town and recruits Paige for the Quiz Bowl team (of all things!) her perfect plan is thrown for a serious loop. Will Paige be able to face her fears and finally open herself up to the life she was meant to live?

MY THOUGHTS
There’s never a shortage of trepidation to be had when picking up the second novel by an author who blew us away with their debut, anxiety as to whether or not we’ll fall as hard for it as we did for its predecessor wreaking havoc on our insides as we crack the spine. What we find immediately with The Start of Me and You however is that our fear and anxiety are unnecessary, Ms. Lord’s sophomore novel a delight in every possible way as it proves that young adult friendships and romantic relationships don’t have to be full of angst to be thoroughly memorable and compelling.

Ms. Lord has a gift for writing teenage voices that are so genuine and believable that we immediately flashback to our younger selves, remembering the exact moment when we had the chance to show our high school crush just how cool we were by letting loose a remark so charmingly witty that they'd have no choice but to fall in love with us, only to be horrified by the inanity that escapes instead. Paige has more than a few of those moments, endearing her to us forever as we nod along knowingly and smile in shared embarrassment when those small moments don’t go as planned.

What’s so beautifully perfect about this tale–in addition to a standout protagonist who exudes warmth and the type of every-girl normalcy to which so many can relate–is that Ms. Lord has every opportunity to follow a familiar path with regard to the friendships and romance in this story, but at every turn she chooses to highlight the positive over the negative. The friendship between Paige and her three closest friends has moment after moment where things could easily turn sour, the relationship deteriorating into cattiness and jealousy as life happens, but instead the four of them prove that the strength of a friendship is proven in every day moments as much as it is in those of consequence.

The romance is adorably low-key, refusing to shift even slightly in the direction of a love triangle despite the presence of both longtime crush Ryan and perfectly nerdy Max. Ms. Lord once again chooses to portray teenagers with a maturity and humor that has us wishing we could bestow upon her the gift of speed writing so the wait for her next book might not be quite as long.

Rating: 5/5

Find Emery:

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This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

Pam Reviews: The Art of Neil Gaiman

I'm super excited today to welcome my mom back to the blog to review a very different type of book than is usually featured here. Yay for stepping out of comfort zones! My mom is an extraordinarily talented illustrator, so when a review request came through for a book featuring the artwork of Neil Gaiman, I jumped on it and asked if she'd like the chance to share her thoughts on it from a fellow artist's perspective. This book is more textbook in nature, so she focused on just one chapter in particular. Welcome back to Supernatural Snark, Mom!

THE ART OF NEIL GAIMAN:
The Visual Story of One of the World's Most Vital Creative Forces
Hayley Campbell
Non-Fiction
320 pages
ILEX
Available Now
Source: Received finished copy from publisher for review

THE BOOK (from Amazon)

With unprecedented access to Neil Gaiman’s personal archives, author Hayley Campbell gives an insider’s glimpse into the artistic inspirations and musings of one of the world’s most visionary writers.

Over the last twenty-five years, Neil Gaiman has mapped out a territory in the popular imagination that is uniquely his own. A master of several genres, including, but not limited to, bestselling novels, children’s books, groundbreaking comics, and graphic novels, it’s no wonder Gaiman has been called a rock star of the literary world. Now, for the first time, Gaiman reveals the inspiration behind his signature artistic motifs, giving author Hayley Campbell a rare, in-depth look at the contents of his personal notebooks and early work, even some of his abandoned projects. The result is a startling, intimate glimpse into the life and mind of one of the world’s most creative visionaries. The book is the first comprehensive, full-color examination of Gaiman’s work to date, tracing the genesis of his creative life as a starving journalist in the UK to his life as a successful comic book writer and, ultimately, a bestselling novelist.

Complete with running commentary, interview text, and annotated material that contextualizes the visual material, this deluxe compendium contains never-before-seen material and promises to be every bit as inspired as Gaiman is himself.

PAM'S THOUGHTS
The Art of Neil Gaiman is a remarkably in-depth biography that covers many aspects of his lengthy career, but where it truly comes to life is in the showcasing of all his incredible works to date. One cannot help but marvel at his creative genius, applied across several media such as novels, picture books, comics, radio plays, TV stories, theater, movies and more. The sheer number and diversity of his works is mind-boggling. Throughout all seven chapters, readers will discover an intensely detailed presentation of each of his works, complete with some of his handwritten notes and sketches as well as photographs, anecdotes and commentary from his numerous collaborators. I loved that he not only shares amazing insights into his work, but also into himself, the truest art in The Art of Neil Gaiman.

I was asked to focus on a particular chapter of Gaiman's book, and I chose one that highlighted some of his short stories and poetry, but most interestingly for me, his picture books such as Coraline and Fortunately, The Milk which were my first exposures to Gaiman's work. Gaiman openly reveals his personal perspectives, feelings and memories, giving us a peek into the inspiration behind the creation of each fantasy work so that readers can fully appreciate the scope and depth of his imagination. His picture books reflect his knowledge of children, their nature and essence, and what exactly it is to be a child. This review, encompassing a very small segment of one chapter, doesn't begin to scratch the surface of this phenomenal collection of works, so I encourage you to discover all its wonder for yourselves!

The Art of Neil Gaiman is an impressive and informative book that will surely amaze any reader. I did feel at times that the visual presentation of each full color page was slightly distracting with so many competing elements (including the text hugging the centerfold), but that small drawback did nothing to dim the brilliance of Neil Gaiman and his storytelling genius. This book is outstanding.

Rating: 5/5

Find Neil:

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This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

Review: Snow Like Ashes

SNOW LIKE ASHES
Snow Like Ashes #1
Sara Raasch
Young Adult/Fantasy
432 pages
Balzer + Bray
Available Now
Source: ARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
A heartbroken girl. A fierce warrior. A hero in the making.

Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.

Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.

So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.

MY THOUGHTS
Snow Like Ashes is as unique as the frozen flakes that haunt the memories of every citizen of the defeated Kingdom of Winter, beautifully rejecting anything remotely formulaic and instead giving us a world of power and cruelty inhabited by people who shine vibrantly even in the shadow of tyranny. Ms. Raasch doesn't waste valuable page time explaining the parameters of Meira's fantasy world or its political and military history, rather she immediately introduces us to young Meira, a gorgeously determined underdog amidst a larger group of underdogs who seek to retake what was brutally stolen from them years before. The connection to Meira therefore forms swiftly and easily, swept up as we are in her quest to prove herself to both the leader of their ragtag group as well as her best friend and longtime crush, Mather. From this emotional foundation Ms. Raasch builds the aforementioned history of Primoria and its kingdoms, first ensuring our hearts are beating in time with Meira's before fully engaging our minds as she skillfully weaves a dark past in and through the shimmering promise of a better future.

Meira is a heroine who easily sets a new standard against which all future female characters will be measured, her fervent desire to be an asset to those around her–to be someone who makes a difference on a scale small or large–inspiring enough that we simply can do nothing but pour every ounce of faith we have into her. Not only is she dedicated to all things Winter and fiercely protective of a kingdom of which she has very little memory, but she also refuses to stay silent and accepting when she disagrees with the actions or orders of those around her. Many times willfull characters can come across as whiny and petulant in their objections, allowing heightened emotion to reduce the effectiveness of their argument, but Meira argues her points with passion backed by logic and reason, forcing the other person to see the validity of her words through the anger or hurt that colors them. She proves again and again that she has a spine of steel, but accompanying that backbone is an impressive self-awareness and ability to recognize her strengths as well as admit to her weaknesses.

Though some readers may feel this story has a love triangle simply because there are two young men in Meira's life, the romance is anything but so simply labeled, and Meira impresses at every turn with her ability to navigate what could easily become emotionally treacherous waters. Though both Mather and Theron express an interest in Meira, their feelings are far more complicated than merely admitting interest, each of them bound to circumstances beyond their control that have a profound effect on the dynamic between the three of them. As the story continues, however, we begin to see how one young man shuts his eyes to the person Meira truly is while the other opens his wide and sees her inside and out. It needs to be mentioned too that the romance, while a notable and intrinsic aspect of this story, is hugely secondary to the journey Meira herself undergoes, her path toward freeing her kingdom from the shackles of a seemingly impenetrable darkness leading to the discovery of who she wants to be as a woman, a friend, a soldier, and a proud Winterian.

Overall, Snow Like Ashes is a stunning debut from Ms. Raasch, characters leaping from the pages and wrapping themselves around our hearts so tightly we have little choice but to give them the full weight of our hope, love and attention. We're thankfully left with one epic battle behind us and no cliffhanger in sight, but on the distant horizon a familiar shadow can be seen, inviting us to count the days until we return to Meira and join the effort to rebuild Winter once again.

Rating: 5/5

Find Sara:

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This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

Review: Rites of Passage

RITES OF PASSAGE
Joy N. Hensley
Contemporary Young Adult
416 pages
HarperTeen
Available September 9th
Source: BEA

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Sam McKenna’s never turned down a dare. And she's not going to start with the last one her brother gave her before he died.

So Sam joins the first-ever class of girls at the prestigious Denmark Military Academy. She’s expecting push-ups and long runs, rope climbing and mud-crawling. As a military brat, she can handle an obstacle course just as well as the boys. She's even expecting the hostility she gets from some of the cadets who don’t think girls belong there. What she’s not expecting is her fiery attraction to her drill sergeant. But dating is strictly forbidden and Sam won't risk her future, or the dare, on something so petty...no matter how much she wants him.

As Sam struggles to prove herself, she discovers that some of the boys don’t just want her gone—they will stop at nothing to drive her out. When their petty threats turn to brutal hazing, bleeding into every corner of her life, she realizes they are not acting alone. A decades-old secret society is alive and active… and determined to force her out.
At any cost.

Now time's running short. Sam must decide who she can trust...and choosing the wrong person could have deadly consequences.

MY THOUGHTS
Rites of Passage is a phenomenal debut from Ms. Hensley, gripping from first page to last with the only source of disappointment stemming from the fact that it actually ends. It’s a book that doesn’t allow us room to think about becoming emotionally invested, rather it gives us a young woman of extraordinary determination who yanks us into her story with the sheer force of her impressive will. Once there, we find ourselves angry to a degree we’ve rarely reached between the covers of a book, and we can’t help but be grateful that Sam’s story–though likely more than real in so many ways–is fictional, and with that fact comes the comfort of knowing the cruelty she’s subjected to will not go unpunished in the end.

Sam is a young woman we can’t help but be proud to know despite the fact that she exists only on the pages of her story, her fight to stay at the Denmark Military Academy no matter what abuse she faces one that has us ready to raise our fists and inflict physical damage on her behalf. With every demeaning comment and every spiteful ploy to get her to quit she only digs her heels in harder, taking each blow on the chin and to the gut but never once letting them see that their blows made contact. She battles impossible odds as well as both indifference and betrayal from those who should be first in line to support her, and while she gets worn down as the mistreatment continues mercilessly, she still straightens her shoulders and manages to show proper respect to a chain of command that does nothing to protect her.

Threaded through Sam’s epic battle to pave the way for other young women set on attending the DMA is a tension-filled romance with her drill sergeant, a relationship executed so perfectly that despite the fact it exists on the periphery of Sam’s daily fight, it becomes an unforgettable piece of her story. Drill is one of the few people who restores our faith in humanity while reading, proof that power and control in the hands of the strong are tools that build people up, while those same things wielded by the weak do nothing but tear people down. He is a safe haven for Sam as much as he can be with the rules of fraternization in place and their ranks an obstacle they may never be able to overcome, and though the focus remains resolutely on the inspiration that is Sam, we couldn’t be more thankful for his presence in her life.

We’re left with two major villainous players in place and free from the justice they so richly deserve, but overall things for Sam wrap up nicely as her first year at the academy comes to a close. There’s room for more of her story though if we’re lucky enough to see a sequel from Ms. Hensley, and there's little doubt in my mind that everyone who picks this book up will reach the last page and want more. Rites of Passage is a debut that should absolutely not be missed, a powerhouse of a novel with a heroine who has us wanting to scream, yell and thump our chests in an outrageous show of solidarity for her ability to make it through what we’re nearly positive we’d never have the strength to endure.

Rating: 5/5

Find Joy:

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This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

Review: Heir of Fire

HEIR OF FIRE
Throne of Glass #3
Sarah J. Maas
Young Adult/Fantasy
565 pages
Bloomsbury
Available September 2nd
Source: ARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien’s only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan’s Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King’s Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan’s biggest threat – and his own toughest enemy.

While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love?

MY THOUGHTS
Heir of Fire returns us to beloved heroine Celaena Sardothien, but the girl we find in the opening third of this book is a very different girl from the one we've known thus far, stripped of her arrogance and torn from the anger and rage that have acted as the mooring line tethering her to the mortal coil. Without the beautiful ferocity of her vengeance driving her forward, we're left with a Celaena who embodies vulnerability, the number of times she's been beaten down finally totaling one more than she's seemingly equipped to handle. Where a Celaena who's lost a bit of her fight may sound like someone who would frustrate, instead we find we've never wanted to embrace her more, her gorgeous humanity proving that weakness is not in the simple needing of help, but rather in needing it and refusing to ask for it.

Celaena is well aware she's hit rock bottom in the wake of Nehemia's demise, and because she's cognizant of her emotional state, she takes the lifeline thrown to her by Rowan and begins to lift herself up out of the darkness. It's not to say she meets Rowan with open arms and a smiling face, oh no, even in a bad place she's still got a spark of her fire, and she and Rowan embark on an epic battle of wills that's as amusing as it is breathtaking. Ms. Maas could have taken an easier route with this story, the separation of Celaena and Chaol at the end of Crown of Midnight and the introduction of Rowan in this third installment acting as the opening notes of an all-too familiar melody, but thankfully she doesn't rob characters or readers of the tale they deserve. In place of romance, what grows between Rowan and Celaena is the type of friendship every single person who reads this book yearns for–absolute and unwavering when each of them needs an extra shoulder to carry some of their weight.

Some readers may find themselves a touch disappointed given the fact Chaol and Celaena are not reunited at any point despite the impressive length of Heir of Fire, but their separation is nothing if not necessary. Chaol's fear of who Celaena truly is would have only compounded her own reluctance to embrace her heritage, dragging her down rather than building her up as she so desperately needs in the wake of Nehemia's loss. Ms. Maas instead makes the brilliant decision to keep them apart, allowing each of them room to grow into who they need to be without the other's expectations or reservations limiting the scope of what they can achieve. We of course ache for the two of them to find their way back to one another and overcome the nearly insurmountable obstacles facing them as a couple, but we can only smile in anticipation as we read, knowing the wait will more than worth it in the end.

Overall, Heir of Fire is a stunning addition to this series, the slowness of it in parts granting readers the time to explore the fabric of each character, getting to know them in a way action sequence after action sequence wouldn't allow us, and then, when we've just been lulled into a sort of reflective quietness, we're smacked in the face with a reminder of how brutal the King of Adarlan can be. Our hatred for him burns brighter than ever before in the closing chapters, but through the blinding haze of our rage is the comfort that comes from knowing that Celaena, now ready to accept every part of herself, will never let his actions go unanswered. She will come at him with everything in her overwhelmingly impressive arsenal, and I simply cannot wait for the moment when she returns her every loss to those responsible tenfold.

Rating: 5/5
 

Find Sarah:

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This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

Pam Reviews: Arclight

Today I'm thrilled to welcome my mom, Pam, back to the blog to guest review for me. She, along with my mother in law Cathy, is nice enough to help me out on occasion when my review pile gets the better of me and I can't thank either of them enough. Take it away Mom!

ARCLIGHT
Arclight #1
Josin L. McQuein
Young Adult/Dystopian
400 pages
Greenwillow Books
Available Now
Source: Finished copy from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
No one crosses the wall of light . . . except for one girl who doesn’t remember who she is, where she came from, or how she survived. A harrowing, powerful debut thriller about finding yourself and protecting your future—no matter how short and uncertain it may be.

The Arclight is the last defense. The Fade can’t get in. Outside the Arclight’s border of high-powered beams is the Dark. And between the Light and the Dark is the Grey, a narrow, barren no-man’s-land. That’s where the rescue team finds Marina, a lone teenage girl with no memory of the horrors she faced or the family she lost. Marina is the only person who has ever survived an encounter with the Fade. She’s the first hope humanity has had in generations, but she could also be the catalyst for their final destruction. Because the Fade will stop at nothing to get her back. Marina knows it. Tobin, who’s determined to take his revenge on the Fade, knows it. Anne-Marie, who just wishes it were all over, knows it.

When one of the Fade infiltrates the Arclight and Marina recognizes it, she will begin to unlock secrets she didn’t even know she had. Who will Marina become? Who can she never be again?

PAM'S THOUGHTS
Readers who enjoy complex mysteries and sci-fi thrillers are in for a treat with this debut YA novel by Josin McQuein. Although this genre would not be my first choice for a read, I found this book to be exceptionally well-written, action-packed and intense. For me, it was the white knuckle kind of intense, complete with several pacing breaks for relief and deep breaths so I could process what I just read.
 
The words “action packed” are more than apt, as the author catapults the reader into complete confusion for the first few chapters thanks to the very limited information about the situation, characters and setting. Unable to understand or visualize the “who, what, and where’s” left me feeling so very lost. However as the story unravels, this imbalance recedes as the reader slowly begins to comprehend how the character and events connect in their world. This constant state of flux between comprehension and confusion may be deliberate by the author as she builds the rising action and suspense to her story, or it just may be me being slow on the uptake. Either way, it didn’t discourage me in the least from finishing the book, in fact it had the opposite effect, forcing me to consume it at record-breaking speed as it moved from crisis to crisis.
 
I am a huge fan of character development in any genre, easily becoming totally invested in their emotional, mental and physical well being, and Ms. McQuein did not leave me wanting in her characters, especially Marina, the protagonist and narrator of the novel. As she suffered from amnesia, I sympathized with her continuous struggles in trying to understand who she is through the myriad of voids in her past life. I then marveled at her intelligence, courage and fierce determination to overcome them. The author very s-l-o-w-l-y, but very beautifully, develops Marina’s emotional growth and feelings, as well as honestly and realistically portrays her relationships with fellow teenagers and adults alike.
 
The secondary characters of Anne-Marie, Tobin, and Rue are not as well defined as Marina, but they are nicely developed and easy to like. The talkative Anne-Marie, who from the onset is Marina’s only friend, not only shields her from the cruelty and disdain of her peers, but also gives her complete allegiance. Tobin is guarded, angry, and resentful–justifiably so as his father gave his life rescuing Marina–but as the relationship between them moves forward he becomes thoughtful, fiercely protective and very loyal. And the sweet, loveable Rue can only be described as simply endearing and the development of his character is brilliant. 
 
However, my absolute favorite in the author’s cast of characters is the Fade, parasitic “monsters” whose bones shift at will enabling them to camouflage into any background. At first, I visualized them as sinister, grotesque, body snatcher-like creatures, but as the Fades evolved, I began to see the unexpected human-like attributes in their features, emotions and ability to communicate. Suffice to say there is more–much more–to these unique characters that captures the imagination and I encourage you to discover them yourselves.
 
Obviously, I’m truly taken with this original and highly creative novel and would recommend it in a heartbeat. What’s not to like in a novel packed with complicated plot twists, powerful world building, intrigue, a villain, smatterings of an unethical practice and prejudice, all descriptively written? I’d say that’s just about a perfect read.
 
Rating: 5/5

Personal note:  My warmest thank you to Jenny for not only giving me the opportunity to write this review, but also for challenging me and exposing me to read genres beyond my norm, and in this case, comfort zone. Throughout the not-so-easy process of writing (and rewriting) this, I was continuously reminded of her exceptional gift with the written word, amazed that she does so with such confidence and ease, and awed by the sheer number of reviews she produces. You are incredible my Jen! 

Find Josin:

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This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

Because my adorable mom got a little mushy there at the end, I thought I'd share a picture of me and her from this past summer. It was windy, so just ignore our ridiculous hair ;-)

Review: The Bone Season

THE BONE SEASON
The Bone Season #1
Samantha Shannon
Urban Fantasy/Paranormal/Dystopian
466 pages
Bloomsbury USA
Available Now
Source: BEA

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
It is the year 2059. Several major world cities are under the control of a security force called Scion. Paige Mahoney works in the criminal underworld of Scion London, part of a secret cell known as the Seven Seals. The work she does is unusual: scouting for information by breaking into others’ minds. Paige is a dreamwalker, a rare kind of clairvoyant, and in this world, the voyants commit treason simply by breathing.

But when Paige is captured and arrested, she encounters a power more sinister even than Scion. The voyant prison is a separate city—Oxford, erased from the map two centuries ago and now controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. These creatures, the Rephaim, value the voyants highly—as soldiers in their army.

Paige is assigned to a Rephaite keeper, Warden, who will be in charge of her care and training. He is her master. Her natural enemy. But if she wants to regain her freedom, Paige will have to learn something of his mind and his own mysterious motives.

The Bone Season introduces a compelling heroine—a young woman learning to harness her powers in a world where everything has been taken from her. It also introduces an extraordinary young writer, with huge ambition and a teeming imagination. Samantha Shannon has created a bold new reality in this riveting debut.

MY THOUGHTS
The Bone Season is complex and dark, drawing us in gradually with an extensive world that acts like a rich caramel for our mental and emotional palates; the taste of it a delight for our minds and hearts but we’re also made to work for the reward of its flavor, our progress at times slow yet we can only appreciate it all the more for the challenge it presents. This is not a story to be devoured quickly and set aside, it’s one that inspires discussion and encourages us to immediately pass it on to the next person we see just so we can have someone to talk to about our thoughts, opinions and theories for the remainder of the series. The characters themselves are something truly special, so deeply layered that should we drop a coin down the well of their creation we’d hear no evidence of it ever hitting bottom, and we simply can’t wait to gear up in our rappelling equipment and begin the slow descent of discovery.

Paige is infinitely intriguing, a young woman with a fighting spirit that simply cannot be snuffed out no matter how hard those around her might try, but she’s also extremely intelligent and self-aware, understanding when to push certain buttons and when to let things lie. She verbally lashes out at Warden on occasion to rattle the bars of her new prison, testing the strength of her captor and always searching for ways to escape, but she does so in a way that has us rooting for her rather than against her, appreciating her fire while simultaneously admiring her ability to use it sparingly and only to her best advantage. She plays a beautiful game of give and take with Warden, giving and inch before retreating behind her defenses once again to observe what he'll do with the ground he’s gained, and we can do nothing but sit back and watch, rapt, as they try and build the most fragile of relationships.

Warden is perhaps the most fascinating element in this first installment, an enigmatic Reph who occupies negative space rather than positive, forcing us to look in between the obvious to find any hint of who he is. The beauty of him is that he’ll be different things to different readers; for some he'll be more protector than tormentor, more slaver than teacher, or more romantic interest than monster, but for all he will defy the simplicity of a single label. He’s a ten-thousand piece puzzle with no image on the box to guide us, instead we only learn about him through active participation, analyzing and questioning his words and actions as we snap a few key pieces into place. When we find ourselves on the last page of this first book, it’s clear that we have maybe a handful of those ten-thousand pieces in their correct locations, leaving us with the delicious sense of anticipation that comes from a challenge yet to be completed.

Overall The Bone Season should not be missed, Ms. Shannon’s ability to craft a sprawling world a bit overwhelming in places, but she gives us characters so bright they blind us to any confusion. Paige and company are essentially walking thesauruses, full to bursting with different ways to describe them, but the words each of us would choose to do so make the experience of reading their story a beautifully intimate one. Were we unaware there are to be seven books in this series, the ending might leave us a touch sad, but with the knowledge of so much more to come firmly in place we can only look forward with a sense of utter glee, eager for all that we are sure to learn about Paige, Warden and the repercussions of the final chapters.

Rating: 5/5
 

Find Samantha

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This book was given to me by the publisher at BEA free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

Review: Dare You To

DARE YOU TO
Pushing the Limits #2
Katie McGarry
Contemporary Young Adult
462 pages
Harlequin Teen
Available May 28th
Source: Received from publisher via NetGalley

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all....

MY THOUGHTS
Dare You To is a stunning follow up to Pushing the Limits, Ms. McGarry's ability to pair life's darker moments with its achingly beautiful ones something that profoundly resonates, leaving us thoroughly exhausted after the emotional wringer she drags us through but pleased beyond measure by the time we emerge on the other side. One of the highlights of Ms. McGarry's storytelling is the visceral quality to the love between characters, the relationships neither a sudden magical cure-all for the problems in their lives nor a means by which they are able to eradicate all fears and doubts, ridding their worlds of darkness and pain. The love between these pages doesn't seek to smooth out all the sharp edges, but it does give them a soft place to land, preventing those fragile points from shattering on impact. There's nothing instant or simple about Ryan and Beth's relationship, it's hard work and it hurts at times, but we can't help but revel in the realism and the acknowledgement that love isn't always epic, sometimes it's gritty and scary and all the more affecting for it.

Beth is a young woman whom if we saw only from the outside without any access to her chaotic mind and turbulent emotions we might not like at all, her attitude and anger creating a wall of broken glass around her, cutting anyone who dares step too close. We do have access to her though, and as a result, we see the vulnerability behind the bluster, and though we know she would hate us for it, we can't help but want to wrap our arms around her and hold tight. Her life has taught her that she's worthless, that her value is only measured by her past, her family and her mistakes, and so her ability to trust is non-existent and makes her relationship with Ryan difficult at every turn. For Beth, Doubt is a many-tentacled monster; as soon as she escapes the grip of one arm and takes a few hesitant steps toward freedom, another arm swoops in and wraps her up tight, and though we want to rage against that monster for her, screaming at her to recognize her own worth, we know it's a battle she has to fight herself.

Ryan is at first glance the opposite to Beth in every possible way, but as we spend more time with him we come to see he has his own monster to fight. As Beth battles expectations of failure, Ryan battles expectations of success, something that sounds like it should be far easier but proves to be equally challenging and demoralizing. He stumbles and makes mistakes as Beth does, but through Beth he learns to fight back, to make his voice heard amidst the compliments and accolades that mask dictation on how to live his life, and in doing so he also teaches Beth that not every battle is one worth winning. Sometimes winning comes in the form of letting go; lessons both Ryan and Beth learn as they find a safe landing in one another.

Overall, Dare You To is everything we hope it will be when we break the spine, Ryan and Beth a painfully striking couple who embed themselves so deeply under our skin we're positive we'll find evidence of their presence when we next look in the mirror, their pain and their joy lingering with us long after their story comes to a close.

Rating: 5/5
 

Find Katie

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This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.