The Crown of Embers (Fire and Thorns, #2)

 

Author: Rae Carson
Series: Fire and Thorns, #2
Pages: 410
Challenge: Goodreads Challenge 2015
Genre: Fantasy
Acquired: Library
Rating: ★★★★

*****

Goodreads Summary:

She does not know what awaits her at the enemy's gate.

Elisa is a hero.

She led her people to victory over a terrifying, sorcerous army. Her place as the country's ruler should be secure. But it isn't.

Her enemies come at her like ghosts in a dream, from foreign realms and even from within her own court. And her destiny as the chosen one has not yet been fulfilled.

To conquer the power she bears, once and for all, Elisa must follow a trial of long-forgotten—and forbidden—clues, from the deep, hidden catacombs of her own city to the treacherous seas. With her go a one-eyed spy, a traitor, and the man whom—despite everything—she is falling in love with.

If she's lucky, she will return from this journey. But there will be a cost.

  *****

 My Thoughts:

After Elisa's recent victories and defeating her powerful enemies, Elisa thinks all is over and done, her prophecy fulfilled, and that she can rule her kingdom peacefully as queen. But that is not the case. Enemies come at her constantly and while Elisa fights to protect her kingdom and loved ones, she still has yet to fulfill her destiny so she must embark on a new journey to figure it all out....again!

Like in the last book, I really liked Elisa's personality and wit. She's very clever and intelligent, and I enjoyed reading about her journeys in this book. I am also always surprised with the new interesting characters we meet in each book.... this series is also always handy with the plot twists. :)

I liked how the story continued from where the last book left off and how easy it was to pick the story back up after having read the last book over 8 months ago. It is still hard to believe that Elisa's character is only 16 years old because of her maturity I tend to see her as a couple years older easily. I like that she is continuing to grow into her character and evolve into a great leader and queen for her kingdom.

The journeys and adventures in this book are always so interesting and mysterious to read about. You never know what to expect next and that is what makes these books so fun and enjoyable to read. I like the relationships and friendships with the characters the most. I disliked how nothing really ever gets resolved until the very end of these novels. I mean... maybe that's the point to not know everything until the end but.... I like my relationships of any kind to be built from close to the beginnings of books (as opposed to 3/4 through) that way I can see the relationship evolve and grow (for both friendships and love interests). Just a personal opinion though.

My favorite scenes were any scenes with Mara and Elisa. I love their closeness and friendship. I also find the scenes with Elisa with any of her enemies to be favorites as well; I just feel that she handles each situation well for her age in the books. I can admit though that it took me a few days to get through this one since in most of the middle it was a little slow, but for the majority of the rest of the book the pacing was good.

The ending was good. It could have been better and done in a more suspenseful way, but nonetheless it was done nicely and sets up the final book well.
Cover: 5/10
Rating: 4/5
I would recommend to those looking for a good young adult fantasy trilogy with fantastic magic and adventure!

Book 1: The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Check Out My Review Here!)
Book 3: The Bitter Kingdom

If you have read this book, let me know your thoughts below!!

*****

"Waiting On" Wednesday (WoW, #27)

 "Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine that highlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly awaiting!

This week's selection is:

Beastkeeper

Author(s): Cat Hellisen

Series:none
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Publication: February 3, 2015

Pre-Order Now!: Book Depository

 Goodreads Blurb:

Sarah has always been on the move. Her mother hates the cold, so every few months her parents pack their bags and drag her off after the sun. She’s grown up lonely and longing for magic. She doesn’t know that it’s magic her parents are running from.

When Sarah’s mother walks out on their family, all the strange old magic they have tried to hide from comes rising into their mundane world. Her father begins to change into something wild and beastly, but before his transformation is complete, he takes Sarah to her grandparents—people she has never met, didn’t even know were still alive.

Deep in the forest, in a crumbling ruin of a castle, Sarah begins to untangle the layers of curses affecting her family bloodlines, until she discovers that the curse has carried over to her, too. The day she falls in love for the first time, Sarah will transform into a beast . . . unless she can figure out a way to break the curse forever.

What books are you "Waiting On" this week? 

White Cat (Curse Workers, #1)

 

 Author: Holly Black
Series: Curse Workers, #1
Pages: 310
Challenge: Goodreads Challenge 2014
Genre: Paranormal
Acquired: Bought
Rating: ★★★½

*****

Goodreads Summary:

Cassel comes from a shady, magical family of con artists and grifters. He doesn't fit in at home or at school, so he's used to feeling like an outsider. He's also used to feeling guilty; he killed his best friend, Lila, years ago.

But when Cassel begins to have strange dreams about a white cat, and people around him are losing their memories, he starts to wonder what really happened to Lila. In his search for answers, he discovers a wicked plot for power that seems certain to succeed. But Cassel has other ideas and a plan to con the conmen.

  *****

 My Thoughts:

Cassel Sharpe is the black sheep in his family of curse workers. His family can influence people's emotions, luck, dreams, and more just by the touch of a bare hand. To top it all off, Cassel killed his best friend, Lila. Now he must uncover the secrets behind her death as well as secrets within his own mysterious family.

Overall I liked Cassel's character well enough. I didn't really connect with any of the characters or their stories and backgrounds. I did like the mystery surrounding Lila's character and Cassel's brothers.

My favorite scenes were when I was able to learn more about curse work and its different types. I liked  finding out why Cassel was the black sheep of his family as well as the secrets behind why he felt this way the most. I disliked the incorporation of Cassel's friends from school and their roles in the story. I felt that they weren't necessary enough to the plot to really be woven into the story like they were. I also disliked that some scenes in the book were over-explained/ or explained too thoroughly, and then some other scenes that required more detail were short and brushed over too quickly.

I really wanted to like this story more than I did because of how interesting I found the overall concept of this book.... but unfortunately we win some and we lose some. :( I did like the story, but I wasn't excited or blown away by the events in the book. I was an overall Meh read for me.

The ending was interesting, but I'm definitely not itching to get my hands on the next book right away.

Cover: 4/10. It does go with the story line, but its not amazing.
Rating: 3.5/5. It was an okay read.
I would recommend to those looking for a quick, mysterious paranormal novel with a little over 300 pages. So if you are looking for a shorter read to read in-between 2 big books this could work for you!

If you have read this book, let me know your thoughts below!!

*****

New Releases #7

This post will highlight new book releases for the upcoming week of

January 25 - January 31, 2014
 Goodreads Summary Links below in case you would like to know more about these awesome New Releases!

_________________________________________________________________________

January 27, 2014

Zombified (Zombie Apocalypse #2) by Adam Gallardo

Chaos (Fates, #2) by Lanie Bross

 I Was Here by Gayle Forman

Tear You Apart by Sarah Cross

I'm Glad I Did by Cynthia Weil

We Can Work It Out (The Lonely Hearts Club, #2) by Elizabeth Eulberg

Love, Lucy by April Lindner

A Cold Legacy (The Madman's Daughter, #3) by Megan Shephard

Woven by David Powers King, Michael Jensen

Playlist for the Dead by Michelle Falkoff

Cut Me Free by J.R. Johansson

Geek Girl (Geek Girl, #1) by Holly Smale (New Hardcover Edition)

Burning Nation (Divided We Fall, #2) by Trent Reedy

Which New Releases Are You Anticipating?

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"Waiting On" Wednesday (WoW, #26)

 "Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine that highlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly awaiting!

This week's selection is: 

Tear You Apart

Author(s): Sarah Cross

Series:none
Publisher: Egmont
Publication: January 27, 2015

Pre-Order Now!: Book Depository

 Goodreads Blurb:

An edgy fairy tale retelling of "Snow White" set in the world of Kill Me Softly for fans of Once Upon a Time and Grimm.

Faced with a possible loophole to her "Snow White" curse, Viv goes underground, literally, to find the prince who's fated to rescue her. But is life safe in the Underworld worth the price of sacrficing the love that might kill her?

What books are you "Waiting On" this week? 

Top Ten Tuesday (TTT, #25)

 Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's post is:

FREEBIE: Top 10 Bookish Pet Peeves

In no particular order...
The post where I rant a bit! These are Pet Peeves after all!

1. Dog Earring
Or I have seen something even more terrible.... the bending of the ENTIRE page in half.... excuse me while I struggle to breathe.... (not really)... but let me introduce you to my friends the bookmark, gum wrapper, scratch paper, paper clip, headband, and dust jacket flap. :)

2. When People Borrow and Don't Return in Same EXACT Condition
I love to share great books I've read to friends so that they may be graced with the amazing-ness of some books....BUT.... by no means may you return said book with water damage, coffee/drink/food stains or chip fingerprints, bent covers, torn pages, or the equivalent of being thrown into mid-day LA traffic in the middle of a sandstorm or hurricane.... too much?... well you get the idea! Haha ;)

3. Writing in Books/ Highlighting
I hate this with a passion. It makes me cringe. There are sticky tabs that do the trick just as well. Sticky tabs are the answer my friends!!

4. Mixed Matched Covers/ Heights
THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS gahhhh lol.... nothing more.

5. Cover Changes Mid Book Series
This makes my eye twitch!! I have a handful of books where I have the books in different covers. (Shatter Me, Immortal Beloved, Anna and the French Kiss..... etc.)

6. Hardcover Books Without Dust Jackets
Self-explanatory haha naked books.... not my thing... UNLESS... the spine underneath is gorgeous on its own.

7. Girl in a Dress on Book Cover



Should I keep going... These are just some of the most popular ones from 2014. Although all these are done tastefully, I hope this year we give another trend a chance. :)

8. Book Hype that Doesn't Live Up to Expectation
I really don't like when a book is Hyped Up So Hard and everyone wants to read it because of popularity.....but then the book falls flat to the majority. I love when the hype is deserved and the book lives up to expectation but all too soon another book is put in the spotlight and on everyone's shelf, but sometimes the book can't live up to its own hype.

9. Stickers on Books
..... no comment.... sigh

10. Changing Mind Due to Popular Opinion
For example, the Twilight series. I have seen people trash and stomp all over these books BUT.... did you read ALL the books too? Yeeeahhhh. Lol I find it hilarious when people say that they hated this series but read every syllable and word from every book start to finish! Normally when you hate a book you don't finish it or the others in the series. It's okay to like what you like, but now as popular opinion may have it people say that those were terrible books with a terrible plot and characters. I can honestly say that Twilight got me back into reading when I was in middle school, and I really enjoyed them when I read them all those years ago!.... rant over :)

What Are Your Picks?

Unbreakable (The Legion, #1)

 

Author: Kami Garcia
Series: The Legion, #1
Pages: 305
Challenge: Goodreads Challenge 2014, 2014 Book Bingo Challenge
Genre: Paranormal
Acquired: Library
Rating: ★★★★½

*****

Goodreads Summary:

Supernatural meets The Da Vinci Code in this action-packed paranormal thriller, the first book in a new series from New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia.

I never believed in ghosts. Until one tried to kill me.

When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, her world begins to unravel. She doesn’t know that paranormal forces in a much darker world are the ones pulling the strings. Not until identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into Kennedy’s room and destroy a dangerous spirit sent to kill her. The brothers reveal that her mother was part of an ancient secret society responsible for protecting the world from a vengeful demon — a society whose five members were all murdered on the same night.

Now Kennedy has to take her mother’s place in the Legion if she wants to uncover the truth and stay alive. Along with new Legion members Priest and Alara, the teens race to find the only weapon that might be able to destroy the demon — battling the deadly spirits he controls every step of the way.

Suspense, romance, and the paranormal meet in this chilling urban fantasy, the first book in a new series from Kami Garcia, bestselling coauthor of the Beautiful Creatures novels.

  *****

 My Thoughts:

When Kennedy finds her mother dead, she is launched into a paranormal world she never knew existed. As she uncovers secrets about her mother's past, she realizes that in order to stop an incredibly powerful demon from basically taking over the world, she must assume her mother's position as a member of the Legion along with four other members all teenagers like her.

I really liked Kennedy's character; she gets thrown into this paranormal world so quickly after her mother's death you would expect her to be a wreck and overwhelmed by it all. But on the contrary, she handles herself well considering her circumstances. She was definitely a strong, determined, and independent character that wanted to try her best to help and understand everything despite her position and situation.

On to the other characters: I loved the twins, especially Jared for obvious reasons as he is the bad boy twin with a story and an interesting past! Also Priest is pretty bad-ass in his own right. He is the brains within the group with his great inventing and engineering skills.... hooking the group up with crazy weapons and tools to help them along the way. All the members fit together so perfectly as a group with all their strengths and weaknesses.

Problems? I just felt that it took really long for Kennedy to find her place in the group and purpose in the book. But even with that flaw, I liked that she was head-strong and refused to be looked at as the weakling of the group since she didn't quite understand her place right away.

It was definitely different from what I expected, it was suspenseful and mysterious with a bit of paranormal romance thrown in for good measure. My favorite scene was the scene with Priest and Kennedy in the the well. It was creepy, intense, and suspenseful! I liked the group's sense of togetherness and how they looked out for each other at all times the most. I disliked how choppy and thrown in the stories of the other character's past were; I really wanted more of a cohesive, clear understanding of each of their stories and how they were all connected and came together. The info about their parents/guardians were vague and brushed over so quickly that I couldn't really grasp who they were and where they can from.

Cover: 2/5. Not a personal favorite.
Rating: 4.5/5 I loved the overall story and plot twist! It was definitely an enjoyable read.

The ending ended in a bit of a cliffhanger so I'm interesting in seeing where the story goes with the next book in the series!

I would recommend to someone who wants to read a paranormal book with demons and ghosts with action and adventure throughout!

If you have read this book, let me know your thoughts below!!

*****

New Releases #6

This post will highlight new book releases for the upcoming week of

January 18 - January 24, 2014

 
_________________________________________________________________________

January 20, 2014

Tunnel Vision by Susan Adrian

Alex As Well by Alyssa Brugman

Twisted Fate by Norah Olson

Polaris (Avalon, #2) by Mindee Arnett

The Prey (The Hatchery, #1) by Tom Isbell

Bad Influence by William Sutcliffe

The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley by Shaun Hutchinson

Fire For Power (The Rule of Three, #2) by Eric Walters

Mutant City (Mutant City, #1) by Steve Feasey

January 22, 2014
The Way We Bared Our Souls by Willa Strayhorn

Immortal Beloved (Immortal Beloved, #1)

 

Author: Cate Tiernan
Series: Immortal Beloved, #1
Pages: 407
Challenge: Goodreads Challenge 2014
Genre: Paranormal
Acquired: Bought
Rating: ★★★★

*****

Goodreads Summary:

Nastasya has spent the last century living as a spoiled, drugged-out party girl. She feels nothing and cares for no one. But when she witnesses her best friend, a Dark Immortal, torture a human, she realizes something's got to change. She seeks refuge at a rehab for wayward immortals, where she meets the gorgeous, undeniably sexy Reyn, who seems inexplicably linked to her past.

Nastasya finally begins to deal with life, and even feels safe--until the night she learns that someone wants her dead.

Cate Tiernan, author of the popular Sweep series, returns with an engaging story of a timeless struggle and inescapable romance, the first book in a stunning new fantasy trilogy.

  *****

 My Thoughts:

When you're immortal change is common and frequent, having to reinvent yourself, literally, is a must to keep suspicions at bay. When Nastasya is out partying with her friends one night, she sees something that knocks her back into reality. In seeking help, Nastasya remembers River's Edge and it soon becomes her safe haven. There, she meets the sexy, mysterious Reyn, who has secrets of his own and whose past partnered with Nastasya's could end in disaster. Can they both unlock the secrets of their pasts to move on with their future?

Nastasya is an interesting character with an interesting past. I liked her spunk and personality; she is definitely strong-willed, independent, clever, and funny at times. I liked that she wasn't all-knowing and perfect; she had big problems and issues that made her story more believable and exciting to read.

River, Incy, Reyn, and Nell were all very intriguing characters as well. They all either had interestingly disturbing pasts ( River, Nastasya, and Reyn) or had weird, mysterious quirks (Incy and Nell) that helped add to the story and make it even more complex. I also like how vague some of the stories of the characters were. It made you think, come to conclusions, and make up assumptions to find out later if you were right or wrong.

This was different from what I expected, I had put off reading it for a long while after I bought it because I didn't feel that the blurb was interesting enough. But.... I can say that after I picked it up I flew through it quickly because it was SO good! I liked the magical element most in the novel. I disliked how vague Incy and Boz and Nastasya's other friends from before River's Edge were. I really wanted to know their roles in the storyline, why she kept having flashbacks of them, and their significance. Hopefully all will be explained in the next books in the trilogy. My favorite scenes were the memories of Nastasya's past with her family! Really mysterious, brutal, and interesting.

Some of the twists in the storyline were annoying and delayed the inevitable. It took Nastasya and Reyn too long after the reader found out to realize what was going on. I thought the twist was obvious after hearing both their stories, but it took them almost 3/4 of the book to figure it out themselves. Other than that the story was executed well and I liked the writing. It was easy to follow and quick to read.

The ending ended "calmly"....meaning at the end you aren't left with a crazy cliffhanger making you die slowly from Book 2 withdrawal.... :) But a couple of questions were still left unanswered obviously with it being the first book, so this next book in the trilogy should be very interesting since I am betting a LOT of stuff is about to go down!

Cover: Old cover 3/10. New cover (the one above) 7/10 especially with the other covers now matching.
World Building: 6/10. It was okay, it's set in the real world so not so much to explain there, but the 8 original powerful family houses story could have been explained wayyyy better or could have been more detailed and elaborate to provide the reader with a better understanding of their significance.
Rating: 4/5. Really enjoyable read, mainly fast-paced throughout.

I would recommend this to urban fantasy lovers as well as paranormal book lovers ( I think it's paranormal.... I think.... I mean if you are immortal you're paranormal right?... I'm sticking with that for now. :) )

As always if you have read this book, let me know your thoughts below!!

*****

Ruby Red (The Ruby Red Trilogy, #1)

 

 Author: Kerstin Gier
Series: The Ruby Red Trilogy, #1
Pages: 336
Challenge: Goodreads Challenge 2014
Genre: Sci-Fi
Acquired: Bought
Rating: ★★★★

*****

Goodreads Summary:

Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era!

Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon--the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.

  *****

 My Thoughts:

Gwyneth Shepherd has always known that there was a time traveling gene in her family. She has also always known that her cousin, Charlotte, who has been preparing since birth to travel time, would inherit that gene. That is until one day Gwyneth slips back through time. Now she must come to terms with her new ability as well as help unravel the mystery surrounding her family and time travel.

Gwen is an interesting character. She has always accepted Charlotte as having the gene thankfully and willingly. I enjoyed her funny and strong-willed personality; I am curious as to how her character evolves in the next books in the trilogy. Another character that I am beginning to like in Gideon, Gwen's time traveling partner. He is an arrogant boy who I grew to love once he stop being such an enormous ass-whole!.... I mean that's how almost all boys start out right? Haha Soooo it wasn't hard to warm up to him and enjoy reading about him. :)

With this book I didn't really have any big problems with the plot that couldn't be fixed and addressed in the next books. All of my questions were more based on vagueness or understanding of the act of time travel.... which should be easily explained more in the rest of the trilogy. Also I would like to point out that this book reminded me of All Our Yesterdays, but seeing as I never finished that book I can't really compare the two. So if you enjoyed this book, All Our Yesterdays would be a recommendation. :)

I liked the mystery of literally EVERYONE in the book... I honestly didn't and still don't know which characters to trust or believe or whose side to be on. I disliked the explanation and details of the chronograph. Still COMPLETELY confused as to its purpose or how it worked but... it could just be me....

My favorite scene was the ending scene with Gwen's cousin. Although it made me even more confused as to who to trust and believe, I liked the placement of that scene in the novel. It makes you think and come to your own conclusions about what you think will happen until you read the next book. Also not a hug problem... but I felt that not much happened in this book. It was like a teaser to what the story could become in the later books. But of course it is what to be expected with this being Book 1.

Cover: 5/10. Not amazing, but the covers match so that's a plus!
World Building: 5/10. Still confused, but it's Book 1
Cliffhanger? Not really. It ended calmly and I wasn't fretting over having Book 2 immediately.

The ending was okay: it satisfied me well enough for me to want to read the next book soon-ish.
I would recommend this to someone who wants a light book with time travel and mystery!

If you have read this book, let me know your thoughts below!!

*****

"Waiting On" Wednesday (WoW, #25)

 "Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine that highlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly awaiting!

This week's selection is: 

Alex As Well

Author(s): Alyssa Brugman

Series:none
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Expected Publication: January 20, 2015

Pre-Order Now!: Book Depository

 Goodreads Blurb:

Alex is ready for things to change, in a big way. Everyone seems to think she’s a boy, but for Alex the whole boy/girl thing isn’t as simple as either/or, and when she decides girl is closer to the truth, no one knows how to react, least of all her parents. Undeterred, Alex begins to create a new identity for herself: ditching one school, enrolling in another, and throwing out most of her clothes. But the other Alex—the boy Alex—has a lot to say about that.　Heartbreaking and droll in equal measures, Alex As Well is a brilliantly told story of exploring gender and sexuality, navigating friendships, and finding a place to belong.

What books are you "Waiting On" this week?