Best time of the year y’all! Merry Christmas Eve everyone. I hope you’re enjoying the holidays in whatever way you love best.

I confined myself to ONLY books that are already out that could truly appear under my tree. Oh how amazing that would be if it was all books.

Oathbringer (The Stormlight Archive #3) by Brandon Sanderson

This is on BOTH my husband’s and I’s list. We love this series! And specifically asked for it, so this is about the only one I can guarantee will hopefully be there.

The Bridge Kingdom (The Bridge Kingdom #1) by Danielle L. Jensen

ONE OF MY TOP THREE FAVORITE BOOKS OF THE YEAR…but I only own it on Audible. And I would loooooove a physical hardcover of this beauty. READ IT. Here’s my review to convince you.

10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston

I’m having realllllll bad FOMO over this book during the Christmas season. It just looks so cute!

My Life Among the Underdogs: A Memoir by Tia Torres

I am a HUGE fan of Pitbulls and Parolees. This would be a gem of non-fiction to read.

Air Awakens Series by Elise Kova

Air Awakens | Fire Falling | Earth’s End | Water’s Wrath | Crystal Crowned

I JUST WANT TO PHYSICALLY OWN ALL OF THESE BOOKS. THEY’RE SO PRETTY AND IT’S ONE OF MY FAVORITE SERIES EVER.

The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden

The Bear and the Nightingale [read before blog] | The Girl in the Tower | The Winter of the Witch

Another series I would love to physically own. I read these through library/Netgalley and oh goodness. IT’S SO GOOD. So magical, heart-pounding and romantic. I need to re-read these.

Beasts of the Frozen Sun (Frozen Sun Saga #1) by Jill Criswell

I’ve had this sitting on my TBR since it came out, but’s a little lesser known so it’s unlikely I’ll find it at a library. Here’s to hoping it’s under my tree!

Sick Kids in Love by Hannah Moskowitz

As someone who has a chronic illness/injury that nobody can see, I feel like I would feel alllll the things reading this.

Would Like to Meet by Rachel Winters

Cute rom-com alert. This seems precious and magical and I’m here for it.

Elantris (Elantris #1) by Brandon Sanderson

More Brandon Sanderson? No one should be surprised. I will read all of his books…eventually. I’ve heard this is amazing!

What books would you love under your tree? Do any of these happen to be on your list? Lets talk in the comments!

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday!

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Book Review: Three Dark Crowns (Three Dark Crowns #1) by Kendare Blake

December 16, 2019December 17, 2019 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆
Audience: YA Fantasy
Length: 403 pages
Author: Kendare Blake
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: September 20th, 2016
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

When kingdom come, there will be one.

In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born—three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins.

The last queen standing gets the crown.

THIS SURVIVED A NEAR DNF.

I had to ask my Bookstagram friends if this was worth it to keep going. They did say the first book isn’t *great* but does get better, then the rest of the series picks up so I thought, okay…well I’ll finish it then.

I’m satisfied I did. It was nothing spectacular, but the premise is interesting.

MY BIGGEST ISSUE Y’ALL? The amount of unanswered questions you’re left with. No I’m serious. I have a list of at least 10:

Why do the Queens have to kill each other?
Who are seriously half these people?
Anyone have a background story? No? Oh okay.
What’s the Quickening?
What is Beltane?
Why does the Queen leave her triplets?
Why triplets?
Why is the island hidden?
What’s the deal with the mainland suitors?
We only met one…okay then.
Random book boyfriends with no background? That tracks.
What’s the Disembarking?
Why is the island only sometimes visible?
Where did the Queen even go?
Why are they split up?
How does this magic system even work?
Why can’t they leave the island ever?

SEE? I’m seriously annoyed at how much I don’t know. The world-building is minuscule. It’s poorly constructed and I beg of the second book to get it together should I pick it up anytime soon.

While that was an issue I did enjoy how quick of a read it is. The writing is set up to where it takes out the flowery flourish paragraphs that I personally don’t need a ton of and keeps us involved in the story and dialogue. It did get better at about the halfway point, so there’s that.

But also, I hate Joseph. And I hate when cheating is used as a plot device. I can’t stand it in books and this was enraging to me. I didn’t like how Joseph went about his business and I don’t see the point of him sleeping with [redacted]. UGH. Clearly I’m still upset about it.

I like the differences in the Queen’s thoughts and mannerisms. They are unique individuals and don’t read as the same person. The magic system could use a thorough explanation. This almost read more like a prequel novel than anything else, because not much happened until the last 50 pages. We mostly got to know the Queens and see them trying to use their powers.

Overall audience notes:

Young adult fantasy
Language: none
Romance: some kisses, a fade to black, no detail, love scene
Violence: animal attacks, poison, elemental magic, physical
Trigger warnings: cheating

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Book Review: Spin the Dawn (The Blood of the Stars #1) by Elizabeth Lim

December 13, 2019October 22, 2019 GoodeyReads5 Comments

Rating: ☆☆☆☆ 1/2
Audience: YA fantasy + romance
Length: 392 pages
Author: Elizabeth Lim
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Release Date: July 9th, 2019
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Project Runway meets Mulan in this sweeping YA fantasy about a young girl who poses as a boy to compete for the role of imperial tailor and embarks on an impossible journey to sew three magic dresses, from the sun, the moon, and the stars.

Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia poses as a boy and takes his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she’ll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There’s just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job.

Backstabbing and lies run rampant as the tailors compete in challenges to prove their artistry and skill. Maia’s task is further complicated when she draws the attention of the court magician, Edan, whose piercing eyes seem to see straight through her disguise.

And nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor’s reluctant bride-to-be, from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of stars. With this impossible task before her, she embarks on a journey to the far reaches of the kingdom, seeking the sun, the moon, and the stars, and finding more than she ever could have imagined.

Steeped in Chinese culture, sizzling with forbidden romance, and shimmering with magic, this young adult fantasy is pitch-perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas or Renée Ahdieh.

THE MASH-UP I DIDN’T KNOW I NEEDED.

Ohhhhh I’m so happy I picked up this debut! Mulan? Project Runway? TOGETHER?

IT WORKED SO WELL. I got all of the Mulan vibes (my favorite Disney movie, by the way) from Maia’s actions and decisions. Then add in the competition to be the best tailor where there were even unconventional materials challenges?! Yessssss. The vibes this book gave off alone gave it a star. This was exactly what the synopsis gave me.

Maia and Edan were absolutely precious too. I had seen on multiple reviews that the banter is on point, and I’m here to put my vote in that THEY’RE RIGHT. It’s witty, sassy, and so stinkin’ cute. I really liked the way their relationship developed. I was surprised by a few bits of information about Edan that reminded me of other books and I was cool with it. I liked those additions and thought it gave another layer to who Edan is.

The adventure that these two went on was magical and enchanting. I was surprised that this was able to take only one book. I think it could have expanded into more if it wanted and still been captivating. Since this plot kind of wrapped up I’m curious where the next story will take us.

This is one of those typical YA fantasy books that WORKS. It’s why I love and read the genre regularly. The writing is delightful, the romance is on point, and the story is full of magic. I loved the world-building and the way the magic is set-up. Maia is such an easy character to love. I appreciate her loyalty to her family and how everything circles back to them. She’s brave, but also able to accept help. I can’t wait to see what she does next.

Overall audience notes:

Young adult fantasy
Language: none
Romance: some kisses, make-outs, one or two fade to black, barely any detail love scenes
Violence: magic, fire, physical, arrows

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Book Review: Onyx & Ivory (Rime Chronicles #1) by Mindee Arnett

November 8, 2019September 29, 2019 GoodeyReads3 Comments

Rating: ☆☆☆ 1/2
Audience: Young adult fantasy
Length: 512 pages
Author: Mindee Arnett
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: May 15th, 2018
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Acclaimed author Mindee Arnett thrusts readers into a beautiful, dangerous, and magical world in this stunningly epic and romantic fantasy for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sarah Raasch.

They call her Traitor Kate. It’s a title Kate Brighton inherited from her father after he tried to assassinate the high king of Rime.

Cast out of the nobility, Kate now works for the royal courier service. Only the most skilled ride for the Relay and only the fastest survive, for when night falls, the drakes—deadly flightless dragons—come out to hunt. Fortunately, Kate has a secret edge: She is a wilder, born with forbidden magic that allows her to influence the minds of animals.

And it’s this magic that leads her to a caravan massacred by drakes in broad daylight—the only survivor Corwin Tormaine, the son of the king. Her first love, the boy she swore to forget after he condemned her father to death.

With their paths once more entangled, Kate and Corwin must put the past behind them to face this new threat and an even darker menace stirring in the kingdom.

FELT VERY TYPICAL YA FANTASY.

I haven’t had a chance to get to this review for a few days, and now I’m sitting here trying to think about everything that happened and I can barely remember. Uh oh.

This was a very typical young adult fantasy novel. Mostly unremarkable, but you still enjoy it. You just don’t LOVE it. That about sums up all of my feelings for this.

Things started off a bit slow and confusing. We dove head first into the story and I had a hard time adjusting to the magic system, world, politics, and relationships of everyone. What I was feeling was the second chance love story between Kate and Corwin. Was a bit rocky, and full of Corwin trying to show Kate how much she means to him. Though he made a mistake I wasn’t totally comfortable with *shrugs;* wasn’t a full deal breaker at least. They had some good banter, and a few touching moments with a solid ending. I’ll take it!

It took me awhile to figure out what the plot was. I didn’t know who was bad, what we were trying to stop, and where the main focus lied. I’m thankful that this all worked itself out. As I finished it, I definitely understood what was going on and think that this will make the second book infinitely better. There were some odd political discussions that seemed out of place. And also, the weird battle/trial thing between his brother for the Kingship? What is that?! This was random too and I know it still has to end in the second book, but I need more info. Because WHY.

I did finish this 500+ page saga, which means I didn’t hate it. It was just stagnant. I’ll keep an eye out for the second book and we’ll see if I get around to reading it.

Overall audience notes:

Young adult fantasy
Language: none
Romance: some kisses, and almost love scene (a little descriptive)
Violence: battle, animal attacks, swords, guns, magic; not intensely gory/bloody