Tag: young adult fantasy

Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: September 2021

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Kept busy with September. It went a lot better than August!

Favorite Reads: These Hollow Vows, Beasts of the Frozen Sun, Love Lists, and Fancy Ships, With You Forever, and The Love Hypothesis

Least Favorite Reads: The Last Legacy and The Star-Touched Queen

  • Throw Like A Girl by Sarah Henning
  • These Hollow Vows (These Hollow Vows #1) by Lexi Ryan
  • [Novella] Elevator Pitch by Jennifer Griffith
  • Beasts of the Frozen Sun (Frozen Sun Saga #1) by Jill Criswell
  • [ARC] The Keeper of the Night (The Keeper of the Night #1) by Kylie Lee Baker
  • The Royals Next Door by Karina Halle
  • Made in Korea by Sarah Suk
  • Crystal Caged (Air Awakens: Vortex Chronicles #5) by Elise Kova
  • Kisses and Croissants by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau
  • Battle Royal (Palace Insiders #1) by Lucy Parker
  • [Novella] Dawnshard (The Stormlight Archives #3.5) by Brandon Sanderson
  • Illusionary (Hollow Crown #2) by Zoraida Cordova
  • Losing Hope (Hopeless #2) by Colleen Hoover
  • [ARC] Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships by Sarah Grunder Ruiz
  • Kingdom of Ice and Bone (Frozen Sun Saga #2) by Jill Criswell
  • The Last Legacy by Adrienne Young
  • With You Forever (Bergman Brothers #4) by Chloe Liese
  • The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
  • Defy the Night (Defy the Night #1) by Brigid Kemmerer
  • The Star-Touched Queen (The Star-Touched Queen #1) by Roshani Chokshi
  • Small Favors by Erin A. Craig
  • The Widow and the Highlander (Tales from the Highlands #1) by Martha Keyes
  • The High King’s Tomb (Green Rider #3) by Kristen Britain
  • [ARC] Starling by Isabel Strychacz
  • [ARC] Steelstriker (Skyhunter #2) by Marie Lu
  • Maid of Dishonor by Gracie Ruth Mitchell
  • The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin
  • The Hawthorne Legacy (The Inheritance Games #2) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

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ARC Book Review: When Night Breaks (Kingdom of Cards #2) by Janella Angeles

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Rating: ☆☆ 1/2
Audience: YA Fantasy
Length: 480 pages
Author: Janella Angeles
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release Date: October 5th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The competition has come to a disastrous end, and Daron Demarco’s fall from grace is now front page news. But little matters to him beyond Kallia, the contestant he fell for who is now lost to this world and in the hands of a dangerous magician. Daron is willing to do whatever it takes to find her. Even if it means embarking on a dark and treacherous journey, risking more than just his life, with no promise of return.

After awaking in darkness, Kallia has never felt more lost. Especially with Jack by her side, the magician with who has the answers but cannot be trusted. Together, they must navigate a dazzling world where mirrors show memories and illusions shadow every corner, one ruled by a powerful game master who could all too easily destroy the world she left behind — and the boy she can’t seem to forget. With time running out, Kallia must embrace her role in a darker destiny, or lose everyone she loves, forever.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC.

SOMETHING BROKE.

I am struggling with duologies lately. It’s like every time I go into the second book it feels way too dragged out as if there wasn’t enough plot for an entire new novel. I would rather read longer standalone fantasies than muddle through 75% of a book to get to the ending.

I wanted to love this, the beginning picked up almost right after the ending of the first book. Things got moving and I saw where things were going. My satisfaction dropped off when I realized how slow the pace was. I hate when a relationship is set up and confirmed in book one, then the couple doesn’t see each other again until 80% of the way through the last book. Where is the rest of the chemistry and romance?!

There was too much information thrown into this one. An entirely new cast with new relationships and villains. A dynamic that didn’t match all of the cast from the first book. Why couldn’t they have taken more center stage? [As you can see, I have many questions on the choices here]. By the time the ending rolled around I was through with it all. It was a bit confusing and with the devils at play I’m still not quite sure what happened.

I just missed the overall vibes that I felt with the first book. A lot fell flat. It’s an interesting world and I adore the magician set-up. The characters were initially great and I’ll hold on to what I liked about them in the beginning. I’m curious to see what books this author has next and hope to give those a chance.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy
  • Language: a little strong
  • Romance: kisses to closed door scene
  • Violence: physical altercations, magical attacks and illusions

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ARC Book Review: Steelstriker (Skyhunter #2) by Marie Lu

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: YA Fantasy
Length: 384 pages
Author: Marie Lu
Publisher: Roaring Books Press
Release Date: September 28th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Explosive action and swoon-worthy suspense collide in this riveting conclusion to the Skyhunter duet from #1 New York Times–bestselling author Marie Lu

As a Striker, Talin was taught loyalty is life. Loyalty to the Shield who watches your back, to the Strikers who risk their lives on the battlefield, and most of all, to Mara, which was once the last nation free from the Karensa Federation’s tyranny.

But Mara has fallen. And its destruction has unleashed Talin’s worst nightmare.

With her friends scattered by combat and her mother held captive by the Premier, Talin is forced to betray her fellow Strikers and her adopted homeland. She has no choice but to become the Federation’s most deadly war machine as their newest Skyhunter.

Red is no stranger to the cruelty of the Federation or the torture within its Skyhunter labs, but he knows this isn’t the end for Mara – or Talin. The link between them may be weak, but it could be Talin and Red’s only hope to salvage their past and safeguard their future.

While the fate of a broken world hangs in the balance, Talin and Red must reunite the Strikers and find their way back to each other in this smoldering sequel to Marie Lu’s Skyhunter.

Thank you to Macmillian Audio and Netgalley for an ALC.

WHAT I WAS HOPING FOR.

Duologies are a fickle beast. I have been disappointed quite a few times this year. Thank goodness, Steelstriker was not one of those books.

As I received an ALC I wanted to first mention the audio book. I listened to Skyhunter via audio and Steelstriker had the same narrators. LOVED IT. Seriously fantastic. I was able to listen at 2.5x speed and had no trouble with the narration. They did an incredible job and would highly recommend!

Now the book itself, ohhhhh the ACTION [and the pain]. This book is not light-hearted or for the feint of heart. Full of drama and intrigue as page by page I wasn’t sure who would survive. With that, there were some times I felt the book was slow (most of the middle). Some scenes and portions of the plot didn’t seem to work towards fulfilling the ultimate goal that was set-up in book one. It came noticeable enough to mention, but luckily the rest of the book carried over well.

And I would have desperately loved even more romance. I adore Red and Talin. These incredible brave, tough and scarred souls who found each other amidst everything crumbling around them. Wow I couldn’t get enough of their connection and the handful of moments I got with them on the same page.

Gratefully, those needed taken down are and the world can start grappling with all that has befallen their nations. I’m glad for an epilogue (that was necessary) to tie up some plot points and give a glimpse at the future.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: kisses to one implied closed door
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: war themes, mutilation and medical experimentation, torture, poisoning, blood and gore depiction, executions

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Book Review: The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

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Rating: ☆☆☆
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance
Length: 342 pages
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Release Date: April 26th, 2016
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Fate and fortune. Power and passion. What does it take to be the queen of a kingdom when you’re only seventeen?

Maya is cursed. With a horoscope that promises a marriage of death and destruction, she has earned only the scorn and fear of her father’s kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her whole world is torn apart when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. Soon Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Neither roles are what she expected: As Akaran’s queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar’s wife, she finds something else entirely: Compassion. Protection. Desire…

But Akaran has its own secrets—thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Soon, Maya suspects her life is in danger. Yet who, besides her husband, can she trust? With the fate of the human and Otherworldly realms hanging in the balance, Maya must unravel an ancient mystery that spans reincarnated lives to save those she loves the most…including herself.

*SHRUG*

I’ve been sitting on this review for a few days because I don’t know what I want to actually write. I’m sad to say this was not a hit for me, and even on audio where I listen to it at a fast pace (and it’s only 9 hours) I found myself bored.

Things started off on a good foot with our main character, Maya and her curse. I liked the initial set-up, then some insta-love got thrown in. But later you find out it’s not insta-love? Sort-of? I feel like I was taken on this convoluted journey that only made sense at the very end. And by then, I had already decided I didn’t want to read the sequel.

There wasn’t much depth to anybody. New characters showed up and didn’t make a name for themselves. So much so, I can’t give you any names of any other characters. I don’t remember them and that’s the crux of this entire novel.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses to closed door
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: sexism, sexual assault by coercion, child abuse, domestic abuse (recounted), forced attempted suicide, stillbirth mentioned, death of loved ones, captivity, bullying, war themes

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