Weekly Reading Update (WRU, #9)

This week I managed to read two books and start one more.

  The Ring and the Crown (The Ring and the Crown, #1)

Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Pages: 372
Acquired: Library
Published: 2014
Rating: 3.5/5

Goodreads Blurb:
Princess Marie-Victoria, heir to the Lily Throne, and Aelwyn Myrddn, bastard daughter of the Mage of England, grew up together. But who will rule, and who will serve?

Quiet and gentle, Marie has never lived up to the ambitions of her mother, Queen Eleanor the Second, Supreme Ruler of the Franco-British Empire. With the help of her Head Merlin, Emrys, Eleanor has maintained her stranglehold on the world's only source of magic. She rules the most powerful empire the world has ever seen.

But even with the aid of Emrys' magic, Eleanor's extended lifespan is nearing its end. The princess must marry and produce an heir or the Empire will be vulnerable to its greatest enemy, Prussia. The two kingdoms must unite to end the war, and the only solution is a match between Marie and Prince Leopold VII, heir to the Prussian throne. But Marie has always loved Gill, her childhood friend and soldier of the Queen's Guard.

Together, Marie and Aelwyn, a powerful magician in her own right, come up with a plan. Aelwyn will take on Marie's face, allowing the princess to escape with Gill and live the quiet life she's always wanted. And Aelwyn will get what she's always dreamed of--the chance to rule. But the court intrigue and hunger for power in Lenoran England run deeper than anyone could imagine. In the end, there is only rule that matters in Eleanor's court: trust no one.

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  Can You Keep A Secret?

Author: Sophie Kinsella
Pages: 357
Acquired: Library
Published: 2004
Rating: 4/5

Goodreads Blurb:
Meet Emma Corrigan, a young woman with a huge heart, an irrepressible spirit, and a few little secrets: Secrets from her boyfriend: I've always thought Connor looks a bit like Ken. As in Barbie and Ken. Secrets from her mother: I lost my virginity in the spare bedroom with Danny Nussbaum while Mum and Dad were downstairs watching Ben-Hur. Secrets she wouldn't share with anyone in the world: I have no idea what NATO stands for. Or even what it is. Until she spills them all to a handsome stranger on a plane. At least, she thought he was a stranger.…Until Emma comes face-to-face with Jack Harper, the company's elusive CEO, a man who knows every single humiliating detail about her...

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The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle, #2)

Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Pages: Currently reading on page 37 of 439
Acquired: Library
Published: 2013


Goodreads Blurb:
If you could steal things from dreams, what would you take?

Ronan Lynch has secrets. Some he keeps from others. Some he keeps from himself.

One secret: Ronan can bring things out of his dreams.

And sometimes he's not the only one who wants those things.

Ronan is one of the raven boys—a group of friends, practically brothers, searching for a dead king named Glendower, who they think is hidden somewhere in the hills by their elite private school, Aglionby Academy. The path to Glendower has long lived as an undercurrent beneath town. But now, like Ronan's secrets, it is beginning to rise to the surface—changing everything in its wake.

***** 

Tell me what you're currently reading or what you've read this week!

Weekly Reading Update (WRU, #8)

Haven't done one of these in a while! Thinking about bringing these posts back if I can continue to read on a consistent basis especially since I'm out of college for the next couple of months for summer break.

  The Ring and the Crown

Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Pages: Currently reading on page 293 of 372
Acquired: Library
Published: 2014



Goodreads Blurb:
Princess Marie-Victoria, heir to the Lily Throne, and Aelwyn Myrddn, bastard daughter of the Mage of England, grew up together. But who will rule, and who will serve?

Quiet and gentle, Marie has never lived up to the ambitions of her mother, Queen Eleanor the Second, Supreme Ruler of the Franco-British Empire. With the help of her Head Merlin, Emrys, Eleanor has maintained her stranglehold on the world's only source of magic. She rules the most powerful empire the world has ever seen.

But even with the aid of Emrys' magic, Eleanor's extended lifespan is nearing its end. The princess must marry and produce an heir or the Empire will be vulnerable to its greatest enemy, Prussia. The two kingdoms must unite to end the war, and the only solution is a match between Marie and Prince Leopold VII, heir to the Prussian throne. But Marie has always loved Gill, her childhood friend and soldier of the Queen's Guard.

Together, Marie and Aelwyn, a powerful magician in her own right, come up with a plan. Aelwyn will take on Marie's face, allowing the princess to escape with Gill and live the quiet life she's always wanted. And Aelwyn will get what she's always dreamed of--the chance to rule. But the court intrigue and hunger for power in Lenoran England run deeper than anyone could imagine. In the end, there is only rule that matters in Eleanor's court: trust no one.

***** 

Tell me what you're currently reading or what you've read this week!

Frozen

 

 Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Series: The Heart of Dread, #1
Pages: 336
Challenge: Goodreads Challenge 2014, 2014 Book Bingo Challenge
Genre: Paranormal/ Fantasy
Acquired: Library
Rating: ★★★★

*****

Goodreads Summary:

From New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston comes this remarkable first book in a spellbinding new series about the dawn of a new kind of magic.

Welcome to New Vegas, a city once covered in bling, now blanketed in ice. Like much of the destroyed planet, the place knows only one temperature—freezing. But some things never change. The diamond in the ice desert is still a 24-hour hedonistic playground and nothing keeps the crowds away from the casino floors, never mind the rumors about sinister sorcery in its shadows.

At the heart of this city is Natasha Kestal, a young blackjack dealer looking for a way out. Like many, she's heard of a mythical land simply called “the Blue.” They say it’s a paradise, where the sun still shines and the waters are turquoise. More importantly, it’s a place where Nat won’t be persecuted, even if her darkest secret comes to light.

But passage to the Blue is treacherous, if not impossible, and her only shot is to bet on a ragtag crew of mercenaries led by a cocky runner named Ryan Wesson to take her there. Danger and deceit await on every corner, even as Nat and Wes find themselves inexorably drawn to each other. But can true love survive the lies? Fiery hearts collide in this fantastic tale of the evil men do and the awesome power within us all.

  *****

 My Thoughts:

Frozen follows Nat, a blackjack dealer, with a very interesting past and a couple of dangerous secrets. When she hears of the "the Blue", a place of freedom and safe haven where she won't be persecuted by her secrets when and if they come to light. She soon sets off on a journey with a boy named Wes and his band of misfits who promise to get her to "the Blue".

I really liked Nat's character and her secrets even more. She was easy to connect to with her strong demeanor and determined nature. I also thought the supporting characters were interesting and enjoyable as well. The problems the characters faced were believable for their specific storyline, and I loved the fantasy aspects throughout the novel and the mix of magical elements, pirates, "the Blue", and the other intriguing people and creatures we met along the way.

I enjoyed reading the book and seeing Nat's transformation and evolution from a scared yet determined girl with a huge secret into a key figure with extreme importance to the storyline as the book progressed. Was the book different from what I expect? Yes actually! I was pleasantly surprised with the plot and its originality. I haven't read a book like it and it was refreshing. Really liked the fantasy and magical elements and how they balanced each other out in the novel.

My favorite scene was the ending scene as well as the pirate showdown. I liked learning more about the characters and finding out more about their stories. I least liked the romance between Nat and Wes. I felt that it seemed a little forced and wasn't needed or necessary to the story. I feel that more and more recently authors are including romances in their stories possibly because they feel that there should be one.... they are not always necessary and as a reader I don't mind reading a novel without a romance especially if it isn't needed.

I found the plot to be new and interesting and different from what I've read recently and I think that's why I liked it and really enjoyed reading it. For the most I was kept guessing but some events I could easily pinpoint what was coming before it happened, but otherwise the story didn't bother me much. The ending was pretty good and was a nice wrap to this installment and I will check out the next book when it comes out.

I rate the cover 7/10 and give the story a 4/5 stars. I would recommend this to those looking for a action-packed and different story in the fantasy genre.

*****