Book Review: Wicked Saints [Blog Tour]

Title: Wicked Saints (Something Dark and Holy #1)

Author: Emily A. Duncan
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: April 2, 2019
Source: Publisher
Format: eARC

A girl who can speak to gods must save her people without destroying herself.
A prince in danger must decide who to trust.
A boy with a monstrous secret waits in the wings. 
Together, they must assassinate the king and stop the war.
In a centuries-long war where beauty and brutality meet, their three paths entwine in a shadowy world of spilled blood and mysterious saints, where a forbidden romance threatens to tip the scales between dark and light (goodreads).

Wicked Saints was a powerful start to a series I can't wait to read more of. 

Les Petites Revues [#19]

Aw, spring is in the air (finally, let's take this day-to-day) so that means that it's time for LOVE.

Les Petites Revues [#16]

This week we have two completely different books by the same author, a coming-of-age tale, and MURDER. 

The Loyal League Series Review

After reading and falling in love with the Princess Theory series I knew I had to read everything by Alyssa Cole. I just finished the Loyal League series and it's a series that I want everyone to read. It's educational, highlights black heroes who fought to end slavery, and has some of the sweetest romances. 

Les Petites Revues [#13]

Another week of mini reviews. I can't believe I started doing mini reviews barely six months ago, why didn't any of you tell me that this was an option!

Anyway, this week I bring you a heart-pounding mystery, charming conclusion, and a slow fantasy.

Les Petites Revues [#12]

Another week and another set of mini reviews coming your way! This week we've got twisty grim reapers, boring historical fantasy, and a fast-paced con scheme. 

Les Petites Revues [#11]

January releases are starting off strong! This week I bring you a twisty adult fantasy, intense heist, and sweet adult romance. 

Book Review: Lady Smoke [+ Giveaway]

Title: Lady Smoke (Ash Princess Trilogy #2)
Author: Laura Sebastian
Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy | Romance | 
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: February 5, 2019
Source: Blog Tour
Format: ARC
Buy: Goodreads, Amazon, Audible,  B&N, iBooks, TBD

The Kaiser murdered Theodosia's mother, the Fire Queen, when Theo was only six. He took Theo's country and kept her prisoner, crowning her Ash Princess--a pet to toy with and humiliate for ten long years. That era has ended. The Kaiser thought his prisoner weak and defenseless. He didn't realize that a sharp mind is the deadliest weapon.
Theo no longer wears a crown of ashes. She has taken back her rightful title, and a hostage--Prinz Soren. But her people remain enslaved under the Kaiser's rule, and now she is thousands of miles away from them and her throne.
To get them back, she will need an army. Only, securing an army means she must trust her aunt, the dreaded pirate Dragonsbane. And according to Dragonsbane, an army can only be produced if Theo takes a husband. Something an Astrean Queen has never done.
Theo knows that freedom comes at a price, but she is determined to find a way to save her country without losing herself (goodreads).

Lady Smoke continues to dazzle with its character development. 

Les Petites Revues [#10]

Title: Two Can Keep a Secret
Author: Karen M. McManus
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4 stars

Two Can Keep a Secret proves that McManus knows how to deliver a twisty mystery and I will be gobbling up every book she comes out with. Two Can Keep a Secret isn't as WTF-worthy as One of Us is Lying, but it's pretty up there. Two Can Keep a Secret followed Ellery and her twin as they were sent to her mother's hometown while their mother was in rehab. There, they learned more about their aunt who disappeared years ago and the other girls who had disappeared since then. When I say this one is windy, I mean it. McManus would make you think that you knew what was happening, then pull the rug from under your feet. For all of us mystery readers who have a tendency of guessing the ending, you may be able to guess what happened, but you'll still feel shocked. Let me just say, that last line was enough to make me say, "whoa". 

Title: White Stag (Permafrost #1)
Author: Kara Barbieri
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Source: Publisher
Rating: 2 stars

Sigh, White Stag sounded good on paper but it was not my kind of YA Fantasy. I'm a fan of broody, dark fantasy that is dedicated to its world. White Stag felt very YA-lite, it was full of humor (even though there ere some pretty dark situations) and usage of U.S. American terms like "cooties". From the beginning, I knew it wasn't meant for me and I just never got into the world. There were goblins who seemed to be more like fae than goblins and not a lot of descriptions regarding their powers and physical appearances. The plot itself was very fast-paced, but maybe a bit too fast-paced for me. The ending had a twist that I found interesting, but that was the best thing to happen to the book in my opinion. So if you're a fan of books like Royal Bastards or anything by Amanda Hocking, you may enjoy this one more. 

Have you read any of the below? 

What are your thoughts? 

January releases are you looking forward to?

Book Review: The Girl King

Title: The Girl King
Author: Mimi Yu
Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
Publication Date: January 8, 2019
Source: Publisher
Format: ARC

Sisters Lu and Min have always understood their places as princesses of the Empire. Lu knows she is destined to become the dynasty's first female ruler, while Min is resigned to a life in her shadow. Then their father declares their male cousin Set the heir instead—a betrayal that sends the sisters down two very different paths.
Determined to reclaim her birthright, Lu goes on the run. She needs an ally—and an army—if she is to succeed. Her quest leads her to Nokhai, the last surviving wolf shapeshifter. Nok wants to keep his identity secret, but finds himself forced into an uneasy alliance with the girl whose family killed everyone he ever loved…
Alone in the volatile court, Min's hidden power awakens—a forbidden, deadly magic that could secure Set's reign…or allow Min to claim the throne herself. But there can only be one Emperor, and the sisters' greatest enemy could turn out to be each other (goodreads).

The Girl King is dense and full of magic every step of the way. 

Les Petites Revues [#9]

It's another week of mini reviews! This week I review an engrossing contemporary novel, a problematic urban fantasy, and a boring romance. What a mixed bag!

Les Petites Revues [#7]

I've had a pretty good reading week: some fantasy and even a dash of contemporary. Gasp, I know. 

Review: Umbertouched

Title: Umbertouched (Rosemarked #2)
Author: Livia Blackburne
Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy | Romance
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: November 6, 2018
Source: Publisher
Format: eARC

The mission was a failure. Even though Zivah and Dineas discovered a secret that could bring down the empire, their information is useless without proof. Now, with their cover blown and their quest abandoned, their only remaining hope is to get home before Ampara brings the full might of its armies against their peoples.
As Shidadi and Dara alike prepare for war, Zivah and Dineas grapple with the toll of their time in the capital. After fighting alongside the Amparans against his own kin, can Dineas convince the Shidadi—and himself—where his loyalties lie? After betraying her healer’s vows in Sehmar City, can Zivah find a way to redeem herself—especially when the Dara ask her to do the unthinkable? And after reluctantly falling in love, what will the two do with their lingering feelings, now that the Dineas from Sehmar City is gone forever? Time is running out for all of them, but especially Zivah whose plague symptoms surface once again. Now, she must decide how she’ll define the life she has left.
Together, healer and warrior must find the courage to save their people, expose the truth, and face the devastating consequences headed their way (goodreads).

Umbertouched takes the reader through an emotional adventure. 

Book Review: Dry

Title: Dry
Author: Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
Genre: Young Adult | Dystopia | Survival
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 2, 2018
Source: ALA Annual
Format: ARC

The drought—or the Tap-Out, as everyone calls it—has been going on for a while now. Everyone’s lives have become an endless list of don’ts: don’t water the lawn, don’t fill up your pool, don’t take long showers.

Until the taps run dry.

Suddenly, Alyssa’s quiet suburban street spirals into a warzone of desperation; neighbours and families turned against each other on the hunt for water. And when her parents don’t return and her life—and the life of her brother—is threatened, Alyssa has to make impossible choices if she’s going to survive (goodreads). 

Dry was hard to put down. 

Book Review: Kill the Queen

Title: Kill the Queen (Crown of Shards #1)
Author: Jennifer Estep
Genre: Adult | Fantasy | Magic
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Publication Date: October 2, 2018
Source: Publisher 
Format: e-ARC


In a realm where one’s magical power determines one’s worth, Lady Everleigh’s lack of obvious ability relegates her to the shadows of the royal court of Bellona, a kingdom steeped in gladiator tradition. Seventeenth in line for the throne, Evie is nothing more than a ceremonial fixture, overlooked and mostly forgotten.

But dark forces are at work inside the palace. When her cousin Vasilia, the crown princess, assassinates her mother the queen and takes the throne by force, Evie is also attacked, along with the rest of the royal family. Luckily for Evie, her secret immunity to magic helps her escape the massacre.

Forced into hiding to survive, she falls in with a gladiator troupe. Though they use their talents to entertain and amuse the masses, the gladiators are actually highly trained warriors skilled in the art of war, especially Lucas Sullivan, a powerful magier with secrets of his own. Uncertain of her future—or if she even has one—Evie begins training with the troupe until she can decide her next move.


But as the bloodthirsty Vasilia exerts her power, pushing Bellona to the brink of war, Evie’s fate becomes clear: she must become a fearsome gladiator herself . . . and kill the queen (goodreads).

Kill the Queen was exciting with remarkable character growth.

Book Review: For a Muse of Fire

Title: For a Muse of Fire (For a Muse of Fire #1)
Author: Heidi Heilig
Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy | Magic
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publication Date: September 25, 2018
Source: Won
Format: ARC

A young woman with a dangerous power she barely understands. A smuggler with secrets of his own. A country torn between a merciless colonial army, a terrifying tyrant, and a feared rebel leader. The first book in a new trilogy from the acclaimed Heidi Heilig blends traditional storytelling with ephemera for a lush, page-turning tale of escape and rebellion. For a Muse of Fire will captivate fans of Sabaa Tahir, Leigh Bardugo, and Renée Ahdieh.
Jetta’s family is famed as the most talented troupe of shadow players in the land. With Jetta behind the scrim, their puppets seem to move without string or stick—a trade secret, they say. In truth, Jetta can see the souls of the recently departed and bind them to the puppets with her blood. But the old ways are forbidden ever since the colonial army conquered their country, so Jetta must never show, never tell. Her skill and fame are her family’s way to earn a spot aboard the royal ship to Aquitan, where shadow plays are the latest rage, and where rumor has it the Mad King has a spring that cures his ills. Because seeing spirits is not the only thing that plagues Jetta. But as rebellion seethes and as Jetta meets a young smuggler, she will face truths and decisions that she never imagined—and safety will never seem so far away.
Heidi Heilig creates a vivid, rich world inspired by Asian cultures and French colonialism. Her characters are equally complex and nuanced, including the bipolar heroine. Told from Jetta’s first-person point-of-view, as well as chapters written as play scripts and ephemera such as telegrams and letters, For a Muse of Fire is an engrossing journey that weaves magic, simmering romance, and the deep bonds of family with the high stakes of epic adventure (goodreads).

For a Muse of Fire was complex and addictive. 

Les Petites Review [#3]

This week we're talking (reluctant) royal romances!

Les Petites Revues [#2]

This week I bring some murder mystery with a side of strange fairytales.

Book Review: The Dark Beneath the Ice

Title: The Dark Beneath the Ice

Author: Amelinda Berube

Genre: Young Adult | LGBTQIA+ | Paranormal

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Publication Date: August 7, 2018

Source: ALA

Format: ARC

Something is wrong with Marianne. 
It's not just that her parents have split up, or that life hasn't been the same since she quit dancing. Or even that her mother has checked herself into the hospital. 
She's losing time. Doing things she would never do. And objects around her seem to break whenever she comes close. 
Something is after her. But a first attempt at an exorcism calls down the full force of the thing's rage. It demands Marianne give back what she stole. And Marianne must uncover the truth that lies beneath it all before the nightmare can take what it think it's owed, leaving Marianne trapped in the darkness of the other side (goodreads).

The Dark Beneath the Ice was spooky and addictive!

Book Review: Star-Touched Stories

Title: Star-Touched Stories (The Star-Touched Queen #2.5)
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Genre: Young Adult | Short Stories | Romance | Fantasy | Magic
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: August 7, 2018
Source: Publisher
Format: eARC

Three lush and adventurous stories in the Star-Touched world.
Death and Night
He was Lord of Death, cursed never to love. She was Night incarnate, destined to stay alone. After a chance meeting, they wonder if, perhaps, they could be meant for more. But danger crouches in their paths, and the choices they make will set them on a journey that will span lifetimes. 
Poison and Gold
Now that her wish for a choice has come true, Aasha struggles to control her powers. But when an opportunity to help Queen Gauri and King Vikram's new reign presents itself, she is thrown into the path of the fearsome yet enchanting Spy Mistress. To help her friends, Aasha will have to battle her insecurities and perhaps, along the way, find love. 
Rose and Sword
There is a tale whispered in the dark of the Empire of Bharat-Jain. A tale of a bride who loses her bridegroom on the eve of her wedding. But is it a tale or a truth (goodreads)? 

 

I could live in this series.