Book Review

Book Review: Night of Cake & Puppets (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #2.5) by Laini Taylor with Jim Di Bartolo (Illustrator)

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: YA Fantasy Novella
Length: 256 pages
Author: Laini Taylor with Jim Di Bartolo (Illustrator)
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: September 12th, 2017
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In this stand-alone companion to the New York Times bestselling Daughter of Smoke & Bone series comes the story of Mik and Zuzana’s fantastical first date—as a gorgeously illustrated gift edition with bonus content included.

Petite though she may be, Zuzana is not known for timidity. Her best friend, Karou, calls her “rabid fairy,” her “voodoo eyes” are said to freeze blood, and even her older brother fears her wrath. But when it comes to the simple matter of talking to Mik, or “Violin Boy,” her courage deserts her. Now, enough is enough. Zuzana is determined to make the first move, and she has a fistful of magic and a plan. It’s a wonderfully elaborate treasure hunt of a plan that will take Mik all over Prague on a cold winter’s night before leading him to the treasure: herself! Violin Boy is not going to know what hit him.

New York Times bestselling author Laini Taylor brings to life a night only hinted at in the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy—the magical first date of fan-favorites Zuzana and Mik. Originally published as an ebook, this new print edition will include breathtaking black and white illustrations, plus bonus content in a gorgeous package perfect for new and current fans of the series.

ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE.

Wanted to add a quick review for this book.

It was a short and very sweet novella about some of my favorite side characters, Zuzana and Mik! I never read this even though I finished the Daughter of Smoke & Bone series a few years ago. I’m usually anti-novella, but I had heard that this was precious and it did not disappoint.

I loved getting this little insight to their first date. I loved how invested Mik was in the treasure hunt and even did his own thing to contribute. That made my heart flutter.

There’s also a lot of drawings in this! It was beautifully done and actually enhanced the story. It was like seeing inside their minds in the best way. It was a magical journey (and seriously a perfectly romantic setting).

Overall audience notes:

  • Young adult fantasy novella
  • Language: Jacka** used a few times
  • Romance: a kiss

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Book Review

Monthly Wrap-Up: March 2019

Howdy and hello!

Did March really already happen? Because I definitely thought I had a few more days to go. It sometimes amazes me how long a day feels, and how short the month feels.

Y’all, it was a great month of reading! I had a lot of 4/5 stars and I really can’t complain about too much about any of these books. I especially loved the Contemporary Romances I read. The spring vibe got to me and I’m so happy that I found some good ones!

OH OH OH OH OH!

I’m also hosting a giveaway (starting today) for my US followers! Please check out my Instagram to see how to enter. It’s for a $20 Amazon gift card (sent via email, I know we could all use more book money!).

Note: I’m going to use the acronym RTC to define review to come.

Favorite book this month: The Hating Game/Josh and Hazel

Least favorite book this month: Horse Soldiers

Have you read any of these? Do you have a favorite contemporary romance I should check out? Let’s talk in the comments!

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Book Talk

Bookish Things: Library Book Haul

I haven’t been to the library in a few months because I received so many gift cards for books for my birthday and Christmas that I didn’t need to go (my family gets me).

Now, sadly those cards are winding down and I decided that I wanted to grab some books from the library that I wasn’t quite sure about buying.

This took so long in deciding though because my library is currently 25 minutes away. They’re remodeling the one that is only FIVE minutes away for a few more months. And with a wiggly toddler it was an adventure to get out there. This boot I’m still stuck in made it even more comical trying to manage her and all the books I wanted.

Nobody should let me into a library unsupervised. I had requested five books, but upon perusing the shelves I picked up three more. I have no regrets. I will finish all of them in three weeks!…I hope.

Night of Cake & Puppets by Laini Taylor and Jim Di Bartolo (Illustrator)

Why I wanted to read it: It wasn’t a book I was originally going to grab, but I saw and figured why not? I actually already read it and enjoyed it. The novella was absolutely adorable.

Synopsis:

In this stand-alone companion to the New York Times bestselling Daughter of Smoke & Bone series comes the story of Mik and Zuzana’s fantastical first date—as a gorgeously illustrated gift edition with bonus content included.

Petite though she may be, Zuzana is not known for timidity. Her best friend, Karou, calls her “rabid fairy,” her “voodoo eyes” are said to freeze blood, and even her older brother fears her wrath. But when it comes to the simple matter of talking to Mik, or “Violin Boy,” her courage deserts her. Now, enough is enough. Zuzana is determined to make the first move, and she has a fistful of magic and a plan. It’s a wonderfully elaborate treasure hunt of a plan that will take Mik all over Prague on a cold winter’s night before leading him to the treasure: herself! Violin Boy is not going to know what hit him.

New York Times bestselling author Laini Taylor brings to life a night only hinted at in the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy—the magical first date of fan-favorites Zuzana and Mik. Originally published as an ebook, this new print edition will include breathtaking black and white illustrations, plus bonus content in a gorgeous package perfect for new and current fans of the series.

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

Why I wanted to read it: Purely, #bookstagrammademedoit, it sounded like the perfect enemies to lovers trope though, so I’m not mad I borrowed it!

Synopsis:

Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman hate each other. Not dislike. Not begrudgingly tolerate. Hate. And they have no problem displaying their feelings through a series of ritualistic passive aggressive maneuvers as they sit across from each other, executive assistants to co-CEOs of a publishing company. Lucy can’t understand Joshua’s joyless, uptight, meticulous approach to his job. Joshua is clearly baffled by Lucy’s overly bright clothes, quirkiness, and Pollyanna attitude.

Now up for the same promotion, their battle of wills has come to a head and Lucy refuses to back down when their latest game could cost her her dream job…But the tension between Lucy and Joshua has also reached its boiling point, and Lucy is discovering that maybe she doesn’t hate Joshua. And maybe, he doesn’t hate her either. Or maybe this is just another game.

Stolen Songbird (The Malediction Trilogy #1) by Danielle L. Jensen

Why I wanted to read it: I had this on my TBR years ago, took it off, then added it back after hearing about Dark Shores. I’m really interested to see what Jensen’s books are like!

Synopsis:

For five centuries, a witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city beneath the mountain. When Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she realises that the trolls are relying on her to break the curse.

Cécile has only one thing on her mind: escape. But the trolls are clever, fast, and inhumanly strong. She will have to bide her time…

But the more time she spends with the trolls, the more she understands their plight. There is a rebellion brewing. And she just might be the one the trolls were looking for…

The Falconer (The Falconer #1) by Elizabeth May

Why I wanted to read it: Purely fae. I’ve heard some mixed things, but this is what’s great about a library! No guilt if I end up not loving it.

Synopsis:

One girl’s nightmare is this girl’s faery tale

She’s a stunner.
Edinburgh, 1844. Eighteen-year-old Lady Aileana Kameron, the only daughter of the Marquess of Douglas, has everything a girl could dream of: brains, charm, wealth, a title—and drop-dead beauty.

She’s a liar.
But Aileana only looks the part of an aristocratic young lady. she’s leading a double life: She has a rare ability to sense the sìthíchean—the faery race obsessed with slaughtering humans—and, with the aid of a mysterious mentor, has spent the year since her mother died learning how to kill them.

She’s a murderer.
Now Aileana is dedicated to slaying the fae before they take innocent lives. With her knack for inventing ingenious tools and weapons—from flying machines to detonators to lightning pistols—ruthless Aileana has one goal: Destroy the faery who destroyed her mother.

She’s a Falconer.
The last in a line of female warriors born with a gift for hunting and killing the fae, Aileana is the sole hope of preventing a powerful faery population from massacring all of humanity. Suddenly, her quest is a lot more complicated. She still longs to avenge her mother’s murder—but she’ll have to save the world first.

The first volume of a trilogy from an exciting new voice in young adult fantasy, this electrifying thriller combines romance and action, steampunk technology and Scottish lore in a deliciously addictive read.

Age of Myth (The Legends of the First Empire #1) by Michael J. Sullivan

Why I wanted to read it: A bookstagram friend recommended this to me after I mentioned how much I enjoyed Warbreaker. Since it was available at the library I went ahead and grabbed it!

Synopsis:

Age of Myth inaugurates another six-book series set in Elan.

Since time immemorial, humans have worshipped the gods they call Fhrey, truly a race apart: invincible in battle, masters of magic, and seemingly immortal. But when a god falls to a human blade, the balance of power between humans and those they thought were gods changes forever.

Now only a few stand between humankind and annihilation: Raithe, reluctant to embrace his destiny as the God Killer; Suri, a young seer burdened by signs of impending doom; and Persephone, who must overcome personal tragedy to lead her people. The Age of Myth is over. The time of rebellion has begun.

The Traitor’s Kiss (The Traitor’s Circle #1) by Erin Beaty

Why I want to read it: This book vaguely seemed like The Winner’s Curse (one of my all time fav series), so I’m going to find out!

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. 

The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker

Why I want to read it: I saw this on a few Bookstagram’s and became really curious. It also sounds totally trippy which is up my alley.

Synopsis:

In an isolated college town in the hills of Southern California, a freshman girl stumbles into her dorm room, falls asleep—and doesn’t wake up. She sleeps through the morning, into the evening. Her roommate, Mei, cannot rouse her. Neither can the paramedics who carry her away, nor the perplexed doctors at the hospital. Then a second girl falls asleep, and then another, and panic takes hold of the college and spreads to the town. As the number of cases multiplies, classes are canceled, and stores begin to run out of supplies. A quarantine is established. The National Guard is summoned. 

Mei, an outsider in the cliquish hierarchy of dorm life, finds herself thrust together with an eccentric, idealistic classmate. Two visiting professors try to protect their newborn baby as the once-quiet streets descend into chaos. A father succumbs to the illness, leaving his daughters to fend for themselves. And at the hospital, a new life grows within a college girl, unbeknownst to her—even as she sleeps. A psychiatrist, summoned from Los Angeles, attempts to make sense of the illness as it spreads through the town. Those infected are displaying unusual levels of brain activity, more than has ever been recorded. They are dreaming heightened dreams—but of what? 

Storm Siren (Storm Siren #1) by Mary Weber

Why I want to read it: I know NOTHING about this book, and I’m kinda excited about it. I simply saw the book and grabbed it. Reminded me of Roar by Cora Carmack.

Synopsis:

In a world at war, a slave girl’s lethal curse could become one kingdom’s weapon of salvation. If the curse—and the girl—can be controlled.

As a slave in the war-weary kingdom of Faelen, seventeen-year-old Nym isn’t merely devoid of rights, her Elemental kind are only born male and always killed at birth — meaning, she shouldn’t even exist.

Standing on the auction block beneath smoke-drenched mountains, Nym faces her fifteenth sell. But when her hood is removed and her storm-summoning killing curse revealed, Nym is snatched up by a court advisor and given a choice: be trained as the weapon Faelen needs to win the war, or be killed.

Choosing the former, Nym is unleashed into a world of politics, bizarre parties, and rumors of an evil more sinister than she’s being prepared to fight . . . not to mention the handsome trainer whose dark secrets lie behind a mysterious ability to calm every lightning strike she summons.

But what if she doesn’t want to be the weapon they’ve all been waiting for?

Set in a beautifully eclectic world of suspicion, super abilities, and monsters, Storm Siren is a story of power. And whoever controls that power will win.

Have you read any of these? Which do you think I should get to first? Let’s talk in the comments!

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Book Review

Review: Muse of Nightmares (Strange the Dreamer #2) by Laini Taylor

Muse of Nightmares

 

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Young adult fantasy, no language, violence, innuendo and some sexual content
Length: 528 pages
Author: Laini Taylor
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: October 2nd, 2018
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In the wake of tragedy, neither Lazlo nor Sarai are who they were before. One a god, the other a ghost, they struggle to grasp the new boundaries of their selves as dark-minded Minya holds them hostage, intent on vengeance against Weep.

Lazlo faces an unthinkable choice—save the woman he loves, or everyone else?—while Sarai feels more helpless than ever. But is she? Sometimes, only the direst need can teach us our own depths, and Sarai, the muse of nightmares, has not yet discovered what she’s capable of.

As humans and godspawn reel in the aftermath of the citadel’s near fall, a new foe shatters their fragile hopes, and the mysteries of the Mesarthim are resurrected: Where did the gods come from, and why? What was done with thousands of children born in the citadel nursery? And most important of all, as forgotten doors are opened and new worlds revealed: Must heroes always slay monsters, or is it possible to save them instead?

Love and hate, revenge and redemption, destruction and salvation all clash in this gorgeous sequel to the New York Times bestseller, Strange the Dreamer.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

GODDESS OF DREAMS.

Yes, yes, yes. This is how you end a duology (series, etc.). All the necessary pieces were there. Action, romance, friendship, family, heroes and villains (and plenty of others). YES.

The addition of Nova and Kora’s story was intense and heartbreaking. My initial inklings (of thinking Kora was Lazlo’s mom) were very wrong indeed. This story line really enhanced what was happening in the citadel and made the ending feel like it really did come full circle. It was placed in the book at just the right times that kept everything moving.

There was plenty of action, violence, and romance. Though, some of the love scenes were full of cheesy lines. While that made me laugh…and cringe…they were still sweet. The fact that Sarai was a ghost the entire time still blows my mind. I personally haven’t read any other books that are like that so it’s nice to come across a new flavor every now and then!

I didn’t love so much that Minya wasn’t in the middle of the story. That girl needs some love. She needs a hug, a nap, and a friend. Her arc did come around, but I felt she could have been utilized more.

The chapter pieces with Thyon, Ruza, Calixte and Tzara were nice, but seemingly random. They unfortunately didn’t play as big a part as I thought (til like seriously the end, and only kinda). It caused me to forget they were there and then not even get to enjoy them. I really like their relationships and sassy convos and thought they needed more spotlight.

What angered me so is that Skathis never had a villianous backstory. Why is he this horrid? It only made me hate him more (probably the author’s intention), but also not be able to understand the villiany. He was an awful (doesn’t even begin to cover it) “god” and should have died long ago.

Nova at least, had this back-story. I got her. My heart bled with her and I was worried for her. The connection with her made the whole group aspect hit home.

The ending is everything you want and expect. I felt satisfied closing the book and am excited to see what comes next for Taylor.

Overall audiences notes:
— No language (WHOOP!)
— Love scenes range from glossed over to lightly detailed, including innuendo
— Detailed violence that is bloody
— Trigger potential: depression and suicide