Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: May 2021

May 31, 2021August 30, 2021 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Yay for May! An even 30 books and caught up or finished a few series! I also had my first 1 star book in a very long time.

Favorites: Raybearer, That Fine Line, Falling for Your Fake Fiancé, The Prison Healer, A Proper Scandal, Sunkissed, The War That Saved My Life, Isn’t it Bromantic?, Wait for It, Meet Me in Paradise, Amelia Unabridged

Least Favorites: The HOOK and Kingdom of Souls

Raybearer (Raybearer #1) by Jordan Ifueko – (☆☆☆☆☆)
Falling for Your Boss (Love Clichés #2) by Emma St. Clair – (☆☆☆☆)
[ARC] The Dragon and the Queen (The Raven and the Dove #3) by Kaitlyn Davis – (☆☆☆☆)
The Seat Filler by Sariah Wilson – (☆☆☆☆)
That Fine Line by Cindy Steel – (☆☆☆☆ 1/2)
Falling for Your Fake Fiancé (Love Clichés #3) by Emma St. Clair – (☆☆☆☆☆)
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston – (☆☆☆)
The Prison Healer (The Prison Healer #1) by Lynette Noni – (☆☆☆☆☆)
A Proper Scandal (Proper Scandals #1) by Esther Hatch – (☆☆☆☆☆)
Sunkissed by Kasie West – (☆☆☆☆☆)
The War That Saved My Life (The War That Saved My Life #1) by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley – (☆☆☆☆☆)
[ARC] Isn’t it Bromantic? (Bromance Book Club #4) by Lyssa Kay Adams – (☆☆☆☆☆)
Bridge of Souls (Cassidy Blake #3) by Victoria Schwab – (☆☆☆☆)
Blade of Secrets (Bladesmith #1) by Tricia Levenseller – (☆☆☆☆)
A Proper Charade (Proper Scandals #2) by Esther Hatch – (☆☆☆☆)
Love Unexpected (Some Kind of Love #2) by Jenny Proctor – (☆☆☆)
Wait for It by Mariana Zapata – (☆☆☆☆☆)
Falling for Your Best Friend (Love Clichés #4) by Emma St. Clair – (☆☆☆☆)
Divine Blood (Guardians of the Maiden #1) by Beck Michaels – (☆☆☆☆)
[ARC] Curses by Lish McBride – (☆☆☆)
The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren – (☆☆☆☆)
A Pho Love Story by Loan Le – (☆☆☆☆)
Shortcake by Lucy Watson – (☆☆☆)
The Dating Plan (Marriage Game #2) by Sara Desai – (☆☆☆☆)
Meet Me in Paradise by Libby Hubscher – (☆☆☆☆☆)
The HOOK (The PAN Trilogy #2) by Jenny Hickman – (☆)
Kingdom of Souls (Kingdom of Souls #1) by Rena Barron – (☆☆)
A Proper Scoundrel (Proper Scandals #3) by Esther Hatch – (☆☆☆☆)
Amelia Unabridged by Ashley Schumacher – (☆☆☆☆☆)
Finlay Donovan is Killing It (Finlay Donovan #1) by Elle Cosimano – (☆☆☆☆)

How was your reading month? Lets talk in the comments!

Instagram || Goodreads

Book Review: The Strom Crow (The Storm Crow #1) by Kalyn Josephson

May 24, 2021October 27, 2020 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆
Audience: Young adult fantasy
Length: 352 pages
Author: Kalyn Josephson
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: July 9th, 2019
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In the tropical kingdom of Rhodaire, magical, elemental Crows are part of every aspect of life…until the Illucian empire invades, destroying everything.

That terrible night has thrown Princess Anthia into a deep depression. Her sister Caliza is busy running the kingdom after their mother’s death, but all Thia can do is think of all she has lost.

But when Caliza is forced to agree to a marriage between Thia and the crown prince of Illucia, Thia is finally spurred into action. And after stumbling upon a hidden Crow egg in the rubble of a rookery, she and her sister devise a dangerous plan to hatch the egg in secret and get back what was taken from them.

A YA FANTASY BOOK.

A simple tagline for my main thought throughout this book. It was neither good nor bad. I just felt it was very typical for young adult fantasy. And since I’ve read a lot of them, I didn’t experience anything new.

Not to mention, my ship doesn’t seem to be sailing like I planned and that is always a let down. Especially because, another love triangle? YUP. Not even one I can get behind. One second they were sitting there talking, the next kissing out of nowhere. Ah, I’m so for the other guy.

I did like Anthia as the main character. The clear depiction of grief and depression resonated with me and while I didn’t always love how it was addressed, I overall thought it was well written in these regards.

The writing is engaging as well and I did read it very quickly. It is extremely trope-y and you’ll notice multiple of them. I’m not sure how much happened here because it mostly focused on this one crow, and that was it. In addition to the handful of things I didn’t love, I would have appreciated some more side character back story to help bring this book to life.

Overall audience notes:

YA Fantasy
Language: very little, light
Romance: kisses
Violence: murder, fires, magic, physical altercations, swords/arrows
Trigger/Content Warnings: PTSD, depression, grief

Instagram || Goodreads

Book Review: The Kinder Poison (The Kinder Poison #1) by Natalie Mae

May 3, 2021October 18, 2020 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆ 1/2
Audience: Young adult fantasy
Length: 416 pages
Author: Natalie Mae
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: June 16th, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Perfect for fans of Victoria Aveyard and Holly Black, this enthralling fantasy adventure follows a teenage girl chosen to be the human sacrifice in a deadly game between three heirs who will do anything for the crown.

Zahru has long dreamed of leaving the kingdom of Orkena and having the kinds of adventures she’s only ever heard about in stories. But as a lowly Whisperer, her power to commune with animals means that her place is serving in the royal stables until the day her magic runs dry.

All that changes when the ailing ruler invokes the Crossing: a death-defying race across the desert, in which the first of his heirs to finish—and take the life of a human sacrifice at the journey’s end—will ascend to the throne and be granted unparalleled abilities.

With all of the kingdom abuzz, Zahru leaps at the chance to change her fate if just for a night by sneaking into the palace for a taste of the revelry. But the minor indiscretion turns into a deadly mistake when she gets caught up in a feud between the heirs and is forced to become the Crossing’s human sacrifice. Zahru is left with only one hope for survival: somehow figuring out how to overcome the most dangerous people in the world.

WOW, HERE FOR THIS.

Don’t sleep on this book guys. I picked it up on a literary whim and it turns out I loved it! It’s a pretty standard YA fantasy, but had that little something else that kept me intrigued and invested.

It was an enthralling adventure. For a mostly traveling book I didn’t feel like it took away from the sibling rivalry saga. There were enough changes in location, action scenes and quiet moments that made the whole journey come alive. I’m curious about the larger expanses of this land, but enjoyed what been initially given.

Okay, the romance. Yes, there is a tiny bit of a love triangle here. I wasn’t too phased by it though because it’s pretty clear what’s going to happen. I liked the lead-ups and steady rising chemistry between them. I found the relationship sweet by the end so I’m satisfied with it. We’ll see if book two ruins this though (why does this keep happening in sequels?!).

The magic system is still a touch undefined, but they’re a lot of cool powers running around. I liked learning more about them and how everyone fit into the nation’s hierarchy. This is something else I hope that gets expounded on in the sequel!

The ending has me gasping for some straws as to what happens next. It’s not a wild cliffhanger, I just definitely didn’t see it all coming. I like what was left open and can easily see another book for this installment (rather than thinking it should just stay as one).

Overall audience notes:

Young adult fantasy
Language: none
Romance: kisses / make-outs
Violence: murder, poison, physical, animal attacks, magic, swords/knives/arrows; not overly gory

Instagram || Goodreads

ARC Book Review: Gilded Serpent (Dark Shores #3) by Danielle L. Jensen

April 22, 2021February 28, 2021 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Audience: YA Fantasy + Romance
Length: 576 pages
Author: Danielle L. Jensen
Publisher: Tor Teen
Release Date: April 27th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

THEIR BATTLES ENDED IN VICTORY

Lydia returns to Mudaire to enter training at the healing temple. But instead of fighting to save lives, she’s convinced she is doing more harm than good. She delves into the history of the gods only to discover a truth that will change her life forever.

His birthright as commander of the Royal Army is finally in his grasp, but Killian feels anything but victorious. Burdened by his past, he embraces the darker side of his mark—and in doing so, risks starting a war.

BUT THE WAR HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN

Having defeated the tyrant Urcon, Marcus struggles to form a lasting alliance with the Arinoquians. But he is plagued by the knowledge that there is a traitor among his friends, and it could cost him everything that he’s fought for.

Torn between her growing allegiance to the Thirty-Seventh legion and her need to liberate her people, Teriana finds herself mired in a web of secrets. She embarks upon a path that will either save everyone she loves—or put them all in their graves.

Thank you to Tor Teen and Netgalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own!

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.

I seriously love this series. If I could convey this book in one word it would be: STRESSFUL.

I would have to put the book down and chill out my racing heart because everything in this book will set you on edge. IN THE BEST WAY. The daring adventure that both Teriana/Marcus and Killian/Lydia go on are absolutely captivating. I had to know what happened next. I NEEDED to know what happened next. This is easily becoming one of my favorite YA Fantasy series.

The ANGST on both sides had me reeling. Yesssss, you get those soft and sweet moments, but wow did the general will they/won’t they leave me excited for future books. I love both of these ships and am incredibly impressed at how well each character is built. There was more background stories added to everyone as well which helped me attach myself to them too.

Talk about JAW DROPPING MOMENTS. Things I did not see coming in any capacity that change the entire landscape of the story. MY FAVORITE. Ah, I love being surprised in this way. It only amped up the setting and the harrowing situations everyone kept finding themselves in. [Seriously, can my loves catch a break?]

I really recommend this series 100 times over if you love fantasy. These are a slower build, but have so much action it doesn’t feel that way. I love the Roman-esque inspired nature of the world and the magic system is fascinating. I can’t say enough good things about the Dark Shores series. I’m a forever fan of Danielle L. Jensen’s writing.

Overall audience notes: