Author: GoodeyReads

Book Review: The Traitor’s Ruin (The Traitor’s Circle #2) by Erin Beaty

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Erin Beaty
Publisher: Imprint
Release Date: July 10th, 2018
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

After proving her worth in book one as a deft spy and strategic matchmaker, Sage Fowler is now comfortably positioned in high society as the royal tutor. When she’s called upon to teach his majesty’s soldiers how to read and write, she jumps at the chance to serve her kingdom of Demora—and to be reunited with her fiancé, Captain Alex Quinn. 

During a skirmish, Sage and Alex are separated. She watches him die before he can deliver important military intel—or so she thinks. She escapes from the enemy and makes an unlikely alliance with a mysterious soldier from a third nation. As Sage tries to rally their support against a common foe, the important political alliance is plagued by secrets and betrayal. 

Can Sage complete Alex’s mission and save her kingdom once more?

The Traitor’s Kiss Review – ☆☆☆☆☆

Y’ALL I AM SMITTEN BY THIS SERIES.

Some books hit you at the right time, causing you to love them on an even grander scale than you thought you originally thought you might. This has been that case and I can NOT stop gushing about it.

Alex & Sage ARE LIFE. THEY ARE SO PRECIOUS AND I LOVE THEM. And I can’t stop using capitals. Bear with me. They’re so many emotions to express.

Oh how miscommunication wears on me in books. I didn’t hate the way this was done though. Alex was struggling through some PTSD-like emotions that were causing him to have a hard time coping. This lead to some issues with Sage that sent her into dangerous situations. While I am all over cheering Sage on, I was also like GIRL. STOP RUNNING TOWARDS DANGER. But she can handle herself, this is a favorite fact of mine. But really, once they started working together, magic happened. WHOOP.

The bad guy was kinda silly in this because he didn’t have the most villain-y reasons for battle and attempted kidnappings. The other political aspects were much more flourished and I loved getting to travel all of the map. It was amazing world-building full of getting to know other kingdoms, lands, and people.

One of my favorite tiny tidbits is that Alex actually shows emotion. He CRIES, and I want to cry with him. I always hate when guys think they’re too good to shed a few tears at truly awful situations. He cares so much and I feel that on every level.

Overall audience notes:

  • Young adult fantasy romance
  • Language: very little (I believe shoot was used once or twice)
  • Romance: lots of kissing and wanting each other
  • Violence: knives, fire, physical, battles, quicksand, torture, arrows

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Book Review: The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle #1) by Patrick Rothfuss

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Fantasy
Length: 662 pages
Author: Patrick Rothfuss
Publisher: DAW
Release Date: March 27th, 2007
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

This is the riveting first-person narrative of Kvothe, a young man who grows to be one of the most notorious magicians his world has ever seen. From his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, to years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-riddled city, to his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a legendary school of magic, The Name of the Wind is a novel that transports readers into the body and mind of a wizard. 

WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITH THIS BOOK.

Okay, first I’m going to start out by mentioning that I started this book on Audible. This was my mistake. I still gave it four stars (when I was truly contemplating three) because I really enjoyed The Name of the Wind much more reading it. My library happened to have a digital copy so I downloaded that because it took me almost two months to listen to it. There was something about the way it was done that never clicked. I didn’t love the voices and couldn’t appreciate the characters.

Now that I chugged along twice as fast with reading it I appreciated the story as a whole so much more.

Kvothe is an interesting child. I’m actually annoyed that he’s so good at everything, but maybe that’s the point? I did find it amusing how poor he was with women. I mean, the book ends and he’s barely 15/16. IT TOOK 600+ PAGES TO GO THROUGH THIS MUCH OF HIS LIFE? Talk about a slow burn build of a fantasy.

Everything was definitely explained well. The world-building was fantastic. I loved the differing characters and the romanticism of the story. He’s the amazing, warrior, kingkiller and everyone wants to know the tale. Since Kvothe takes his dang sweet time, nothing is left out. I haven’t read a book where I truly felt nothing was left out.

The book picked up once Kvothe made it to the University. More and more continued to happen and a lot more webs were being weaved. Kvothe is pushed by one thing, and one thing alone (spoiler if I say more!). His sheer determined mindset had me hoping he would get his answers.

The only thing I stand wondering now is, do I want to read book two?

Overall audience notes:

  • Adult epic fantasy
  • Language: A little
  • Romance: a kiss or two
  • Violence: knives, killing creatures, poison, physical, whipping

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Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books I Refuse to Let Anyone Touch (Because I Gave Them Such a Low Rating)

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If I’m being honest, there is only ONE book I won’t let anyone touch. Won’t let anyone borrow. It’s a look, don’t touch situation.

My signed first-edition Kingdom of Ash (which I’m fortunate enough to have two copies of). But since I have a third copy that is the B&N special edition I would let people borrow that one. JUST NOT THE SIGNED ONE.

So instead, I turned this post on its head and decided to now give you nine books I refuse to let anyone touch because I don’t recommend them.

I apologize now for any ranting that may occur. But I’m hoping to also explain why I wouldn’t recommend, but you could still enjoy (…in some cases).

Dorothy Must Die (Dorothy Must Die #1) by Danielle Page

I gave this 3 stars by the skin of its teeth. It dragged on soooo much. I started book two, and realized I was OVER IT. So now I have the first 3 on my shelves and really need to unhaul them. I think my biggest turn-off was that I realized I’m not a Wizard of Oz fan in general. It’s fine, and I’ve seen the original movie, but that’s it.

Rock-A-Bye Baby (The Sand Maiden #1) by L.R. W. Lee

Purely a oh look it’s free on Kindle and I love this artist who created the cover! kinda buy. Y’ALL. I didn’t even write a review because I made it 30%. I had briefly heard this was like ACOTAR so why not? WRONG. WRONG. WRONG. WRONG.

THIS IMMORTAL, 400+ YEAR OLD ACTED LIKE A FULL BLOW CHILD. She has a stuffed unicorn that she had to sleep with every night (and I can give you more ridiculous things) and the time line was all over the place. I never knew what year it actually was and what in the world was happening.

Me and Mr. Darcy by Alexandra Potter

…I made it 8 pages. That was it. The amount of f-words and just poor writing in that small time span had me question every thing in my mind as to why I picked it up in the first place.

Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis

I feel this was a money grab book. She is a very popular blogger and owner of a media company that kept trying to tell me stories so I could feel like she was connecting with me. It instead felt like a celebrity trying to tell me how to fix my life, and I was NOT into that at all.

Carry On (Simon Snow #1) by Rainbow Powell

I never connected on this and I know it’s loved by a lot of people. I made it through maybe half of it before I set it aside and never picked it back up. Because of that I generally wouldn’t recommend it if I couldn’t bother getting through it. It’s been 2 years now and I still have no desire to finish it.

I’ve heard a lot of people thought it was Harry Potter-ish so that’s probably why I didn’t like it, I’m not a HP fan anyways.

The Dysasters (The Dysasters #1) by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

My original review here. This was all sorts of hot mess and I ranted about it on my review. Just…no.

Evermore (Everless #2) by Sara Holland

I WISH SO MUCH THAT I HAD LOVED THIS. I loved book one so much and am still upset that this was such a big letdown. My original review is here!

The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick

This had some of the least likable characters ever. I thought it would be a cute quick read, NOPE. There was SO MUCH DRAMA and like crazy, what is happening, why are we throwing that into the plot, drama. I was so annoyed with the insta-love and the way everyone acted.

The Crown (The Selection #5) by Kiera Cass

I absolutely ADORED books 1-3. Then with 4 and 5 there was a change of main characters and it ruined it for me. I was really attached to America and Maxim. Then moving to everyone else left me hanging. Oh well, I know others did love this whole series!

Did you hate or love any of these on my list? Would love to hear other opinions! Lets talk in the comments!

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Blog Tour Spotlight: Bright Burning Stars by A.K. Small

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Guess what books releases TOMORROW?

That’s right, Bright Burning Stars.Y’all this dark and intense book was so good. It’s full of ballet dancers, hard decisions, and dangerous passions. I truly recommend this for your TBR!

Thank you to Algonquin Young Readers for the e-ARC and the opportunity to be apart of the Blog Tour.

Bright Burning Stars by A.K. Small

Read my original review here!

BOOK SUMMARY:

Best friends Marine Duval and Kate Sanders have trained at the Paris Opera Ballet School since childhood, where they’ve formed an inseparable bond forged by respective family tragedies and a fierce love for dance. When the body of a student is found in the dorms just before the start of their final year, Marine and Kate begin to ask themselves what they would do to win the ultimate prize: to be the one girl selected to join the Opera’s prestigious corps de ballet. Would they die? Cheat? Seduce the most talented boy in the school, dubbed the Demigod, hoping his magic would make them shine, too? Neither girl is sure.

But then Kate gets closer to the Demigod, even as Marine has begun to capture his heart. And as selection day draws near, the competition—for the prize, for the Demigod—becomes fiercer, and Marine and Kate realize they have everything to lose, including each other.

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT:

A.K. Small was born in Paris. At five years old, she began studying classical dance with the legendary Max Bozzoni, then later with Daniel Franck and Monique Arabian at the famous Academie Chaptal. At thirteen, she moved to the United States where she danced with the Pacific Northwest Ballet for one summer in Seattle and with the Richmond Ballet Student Company for several years. She’s a graduate of the College of William and Mary and has as MFA in fiction from Vermont College of Fine Arts. When she’s not writing, she spends time with her husband, her puppy, and her three daughters, and practices yoga. Bright Burning Stars is her first novel.

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