Tag: sword and pen

Book Review

Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: September 2019

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Okay okay.

Apparently I got real crazy this month. My life was a bit out of whack so I retreated to my books. That means I ended up reading twenty-five books. Hopefully October will chill out a bit and I’m planning on picking up some spooky reads (which is out of character so we’ll see what happens!).

And I would like to apologize ahead of time that none of the reviews are posted. They’ll be out in October though so please come read them then! Or ask in the comments if you have questions, I’m more than happy to discuss the books.

On a kind of sad note, I only gave TWO books a full five stars this month. Wish there had a been a few more!

  • Sword and Pen (The Great Library #5) by Rachel Caine – (RTC – ☆☆☆☆)
  • Crown of Feathers (Crown of Feathers #1) by Nicki Pau-Preto – (RTC – ☆☆☆☆)
  • When the World Didn’t End: Poems by Caroline Kaufman – (RTC – ☆☆☆☆)
  • The Dire King (Jackaby #4) by William Ritter – (RTC – ☆☆☆☆)
  • Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center – (RTC – ☆☆☆ 1/2)
  • One Day in December by Josie Silver – (RTC – ☆☆☆☆)
  • Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren – (RTC – ☆☆☆☆)
  • Lock Every Door by Riley Sager – (RTC – ☆☆☆ 1/2)
  • Waking Gods (Themis Files #2) by Sylvain Neuvel – (RTC – ☆☆☆☆)
  • The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow – (RTC – ☆☆☆)
  • Serpent & Dove (Serpent & Dove #1) by Shelby Mahurin – (RTC – ☆☆☆☆☆)
  • A Kingdom of Exiles (Outcast #1) by S.B. Nova – (RTC – ☆☆☆☆)
  • Wild Savage Stars (Sweet Black Waves #2) by Kristina Perez – (RTC – ☆☆☆☆)
  • Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey – (RTC – ☆☆☆☆)
  • The Need by Helen Phillips – (RTC – ☆☆☆)
  • [ARC] Tweet Cute by Emma Lord – (RTC – ☆☆☆☆)
  • Only Human (Themis Files #3) by Sylvain Neuvel – (RTC – ☆☆☆)
  • American Royals (American Royals #1) by Katharine McGee – (RTC – ☆☆☆☆)
  • Onyx and Ivory (Rime Chronicles #1) by Mindee Arnett – (RTC – ☆☆☆ 1/2)
  • Shadows of Self (Mistborn #6: The Alloy Era #2) by Brandon Sanderon – (RTC – ☆☆☆☆☆)
  • Well Met by Jen DeLuca – (RTC – ☆☆☆☆)
  • [ARC] The Silvered Serpents (The Gilded Wolves #2) by Roshani Chokshi – (RTC – ☆☆☆☆)
  • A Curious Beginning (Veronica Speedwell #1) by Deanna Raybourn – (RTC – ☆☆☆☆)
  • Lifel1k3 (Lifelike #1) by Jay Kristoff – (I haven’t finished, but will today; probably ☆☆☆☆)
  • The Vine Witch (Vine Witch #1) by Luanne G. Smith – (I haven’t finished, but will today; probably ☆☆☆ 1/2 or ☆☆☆☆)

Favorite of the month: Serpent & Dove

Least favorite of the month: The Need

How did your month for reading go? What was your favorite book? Least favorite? Curious about any of these? Lets talk in the comments!

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Publishing Day

Happy Publishing Day: The Girl the Sea Gave Back, The Lady Rogue AND Sword and Pen (It’s a great release day!)

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Post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation if you choose to purchase something.

WHOA. I like to make publishing day posts to help hype up books I have been fortunate to receive as ARCs (thank you to the publishers and Netgalley). I somehow ended up with three ARCs that all happen to come out, TODAY.

Get your TBR ready folks, here are some good reads for you.

The Girl the Sea Gave Back

Rating: 3 out of 3.

Find my review here!

The new gut-wrenching epic from the New York Times bestselling author of Sky in the Deep.

For as long as she can remember, Tova has lived among the Svell, the people who found her washed ashore as a child and use her for her gift as a Truthtongue. Her own home and clan are long-faded memories, but the sacred symbols and staves inked over every inch of her skin mark her as one who can cast the rune stones and see into the future. She has found a fragile place among those who fear her, but when two clans to the east bury their age-old blood feud and join together as one, her world is dangerously close to collapse.

For the first time in generations, the leaders of the Svell are divided. Should they maintain peace or go to war with the allied clans to protect their newfound power? And when their chieftain looks to Tova to cast the stones, she sets into motion a series of events that will not only change the landscape of the mainland forever but will give her something she believed she could never have again—a home.

Now, while I may not have given this a super high rating (three stars) that doesn’t mean you won’t love it. It has a lot of great qualities and seriously, this cover is BEAUTIFUL. It’s also an option for BOTM YA this month if you’re interested in purchasing it that way!

Book of the Month YA

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the eARC.

The Lady Rogue

Rating: 4 out of 4.

Find my review here!

Some legends never die…

Traveling with her treasure-hunting father has always been a dream for Theodora. She’s read every book in his library, has an impressive knowledge of the world’s most sought-after relics, and has all the ambition in the world. What she doesn’t have is her father’s permission. That honor goes to her father’s nineteen-year-old protégé—and once-upon-a-time love of Theodora’s life—Huck Gallagher, while Theodora is left to sit alone in her hotel in Istanbul.

Until Huck arrives from an expedition without her father and enlists Theodora’s help in rescuing him. Armed with her father’s travel journal, the reluctant duo learns that her father had been digging up information on a legendary and magical ring that once belonged to Vlad the Impaler—more widely known as Dracula—and that it just might be the key to finding him.

Journeying into Romania, Theodora and Huck embark on a captivating adventure through Gothic villages and dark castles in the misty Carpathian Mountains to recover the notorious ring. But they aren’t the only ones who are searching for it. A secretive and dangerous occult society with a powerful link to Vlad the Impaler himself is hunting for it, too. And they will go to any lengths—including murder—to possess it. 

This one is filled with a second chance love, folklore about Vlad the Impaler (i.e. Dracula) and adventures over the Romania countryside. Jenn Bennett tries her hand at a more fantasy based book and it was good! Definitely enjoyable.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for the eARC.

Sword and Pen (The Great Library #5)

Find my review here!

Rating: 4 out of 4.

With the future of the Great Library in doubt, the unforgettable characters from Ink and Bone must decide if it’s worth saving in this thrilling adventure in the New York Times bestselling series.

The corrupt leadership of the Great Library has fallen. But with the Archivist plotting his return to power, and the Library under siege from outside empires and kingdoms, its future is uncertain. Jess Brightwell and his friends must come together as never before, to forge a new future for the Great Library . . . or see everything it stood for crumble.

Oh this was a great finale to a wonderful series! A very quick read that gave me everything I needed to close this book with satisfaction. Now that the entire series is out, it’s definitely time to get this on your TBR. You can binge all of the books at once!

Thank you to Berkley Books and Netgalley for the eARC.

It’s a great day for releases! I hope you’ve had a chance to look these up. I would love to discuss more about them in the comments if you have questions or thoughts! Happy release day Tuesday!

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Book Review

Book Review: Sword and Pen (The Great Library #5) by Rachel Caine

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Young adult fantasy + dystopian
Length: 368 pages
Author: Rachel Caine
Publisher: Berkley Books
Expected Release Date: September 3rd, 2019
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

With the future of the Great Library in doubt, the unforgettable characters from Ink and Bone must decide if it’s worth saving in this thrilling adventure in the New York Times bestselling series.

The corrupt leadership of the Great Library has fallen. But with the Archivist plotting his return to power, and the Library under siege from outside empires and kingdoms, its future is uncertain. Jess Brightwell and his friends must come together as never before, to forge a new future for the Great Library . . . or see everything it stood for crumble.

Thank you to Berkley Books and Netgalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own!

SO SAD THIS SERIES IS OVER.

Oh, what a ride. I was giddy with joy that I received an ARC because I wanted to know how the fate of the library would at last, unfold.

This book started out with a bang. I immediately dove into the action as Jess was recovering from the ending of the last book (trying to keep large spoilers out) and trying to kill himself yet again at the beginning of this one. Does he ever stay away from danger? NOPE. I absolutely adore Jess and thought he was the perfect MC. Bold, brash, deceiving yet loyal, he was someone I begged to have a happy ending.

Speaking of those I was stoked to see get a happy ending (italicized because frankly, this book didn’t end with rainbows and unicorns, but it was still a good ending)…WOFLE & SANTI. Oh how I love these men. They are the sweetest, strongest couple and I can’t get enough of watching them interact. I was sad I didn’t see them together as much in this story, but the snippets I got, YES. LOVE. Love them, love them forever.

My four star rating is centered around the disjointed feeling I got while reading it. These main characters are spread out over the city and rarely interact until the end. This vast difference in location and plot lines made it feel like separate pieces rather than a whole story. I was stoked when everyone gathered towards the end to finish what they started. I love this group of friends and how much they love each other. I love that we got multiple POVs from so many different characters.

That ending was *just right*. Bitter sweet, but I wasn’t left reeling because I saw that this is where the story needed to go to really end. There was even an epilogue that put a few questions I had in mind at peace. I think everything was well covered and put together. I closed the book feeling satisfied that these characters were at a close in this story.

I love they whole creation of this series. The concept is unique to books I’ve had the chance to read and that was what initially drew me to them. I was captivated by this diverse group who came together to better their world. Knowledge is for everyone to have a chance to obtain.

Overall audience notes:

  • Young adult fantasy + dystopian
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: a kiss
  • Violence: poisonous gas, explosions with greek fire (a substance that burns anything it touches), ship wrecks, animal attacks (by robotic versions of dragons and sphinx), guns, knives, battle scenes, magic

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