The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye

The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye. Balzer + Bray, 2016. Ebook. 399 pages.

Since Monday's review was a bit on the heavy side, I thought I'd make today's review a book that was a bit more fun. Although, now that I think about it, a game in which the loser - whoever it is - will die as a result is not exactly fun...

I had seen a lot of mixed review for The Crown's Game prior to picking it up, which made me wary, but I have to say that I was very pleasantly surprised with how much I ended up enjoying this book. The Crown's Game is an extremely well-written, atmospheric story that is rich in detail, culture, and vivid descriptions.

While The Crown's Game has an interesting premise, the plotline of having a brutal competition in which competitors may die during or after the competition is not altogether unheard or uncommon in recent books (for example: Three Dark Crowns, An Ember in the Ashes, Throne of Glass, etc.). Evelyn Skye, however, seemed to breathe a bit of fresh air into this idea by developing a unique, refreshing story that I found really exciting.

I loved the characters Skye brought into the mix, and I paritcularly enjoyed how distinct each of their personalities were. The POV alternates between the three main characters - Vika, Nikolai, and Pasha (does anyone else picture a big teddy bear of some sort when they see the name Pasha? No? Okay.) - whom I will discuss individually.

Vika is one of the two enchanters, a fierce young woman who is not the sort to back down from any type of challenge. She's not an in-your-face sort of fierce, but she is definitely a formidable opponent with great strength, both mentally and in regards to her magic.

 Nikolai is the other enchanter, and although he is just as formidable an opponent as Vika, he is much more reserved and withdrawn than Vika, and I liked that about him. He was very humbled from his upbringing and knowledge of the world around him, which really contributed to his development as a character.

Lastly is Pasha, who is by far the most entertaining and humorous of the bunch. Pasha is Tsar's heir, and is thus supposed to take his role and title very seriously, but instead he likes to disguise himself as someone else and sneak off to do 'normal' things. As far as the narrations go, however, Pasha's seemed the weakest. Don't get me wrong, I loved him as a character, but his narration just felt the most unpolished out of the three of them.

I think that what made this 'game' premise so successful was the fact that it wasn't inherently violent at all. It was all about the magical skills of each enchanter, and while this could result in lackluster entertainment, it didn't. I loved the beautiful ways in which Vika and Nikolai crafted their magic and attempted to impress the tsar.

I loved the mixture of fantasy and historical fiction. And everything was so Russian. I know that might sound silly to say, but it's true. Skye really put a lot of effort into research, and it pays off. The culture, the language, the setting - everything was really well done, and I felt transported to another land. Oh, and have I mentioned the food? So many delicious bakery and food descriptions... I was in heaven.

Out of the many positive things I have said about this book, the main negative point I found was that the feelings between some of the characters were a bit too speedy or unrealistic for me. Emotions seemed too strong too soon, and that is the main thing that dragged me back out of the story.

Overall, I am giving The Crown's Game four stars! This wasn't necessarily a groundbreaking book by any means, but it was certainly entertaining and provided a great deal of food for thought. I loved the setting and plot and characters, and I would definitely recommend it.

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You might also like:
Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
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Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake. HarperTeen, 2016. Hardcover. 416 pages.

This review is so difficult for me to write because I have so many feelings that are a mixture of both positive and negative (though overall, I feel good about this book!) A majority of me completely fell in love with this book and cannot wait for the next one. However, there is a small part of me that was somewhat confused and annoyed by various minor aspects. From an entertainment and overall plot standpoint, Three Dark Crowns is a solid winner. This is an exciting journey that is rather twisty in nature, and I loved reading it.

However, from a closer and more detailed look, there are a few areas that I had some issues. The biggest one was with the distinction (or lack of) between the sisters; I initially - and a few times throughout - had trouble distinguishing between the sisters' perspectives. Yes, I know it is obvious who is who based upon where they live and what their special gift is, but personality-wise they all seemed so... similar. They all acted fairly sweetly and seemed somewhat 'innocent,' and it wasn't until much later in the story that I felt like I could really start to tell them apart, though I felt Katharine and Mirabella shared many traits. This problem is partly what made it take me so long to become fully immersed int he story.

I was also somewhat confused about Jules' character. I could never truly figure out what her role was: why was she so prominent? Why was their an additional character that we focused on in Arsinoe's world perspective and not int he other sisters' Maybe this will be answered more in subsequent books, but I'm just not sure right now, and it just felt like this underlying question that was never fully answered. It almost made Jules seem like a more important character than Arsinoe, which certainly can't have been the intended goal? Regardless, I still enjoyed Jules' character - she was strong, entertaining, and I also loved Camden.

I loved the blend of romance, action, political-esque intrigue, and overall culture and world building that made up Three Dark Crowns. It just felt like a perfect amount and mix of every single one of these elements, and Blake did a wonderful job of incorporating them all within this story.

I've also seen some people complain about a lack of action in this book, but to be completely honest, that didn't really bother me. I felt that there was sufficient action; however, I am also not huge on action - too much action in a book often bores me, so I appreciated the more political and behind-the-scenes types of action that went on. I enjoyed the developments between characters and alliances.

Lastly, I feel as though I was slightly led astray regarding the actual plot of this book, as I assumed this book would be focused on the actual event in which the queens attempt to kill each other. Instead it was more about the preparation leading up to the 'event'. I was also unclear on how the final 'ascension year' would really work, too - is it Hunger Games-style where they are put into a ring and may the best woman win? Or do they continue living in their own lands and subtly try to murder one another? Honestly, I'm still feeling a bit fuzzy on the details, but I'm hoping the next book will straighten everything out.

I know that based upon what I have been saying in this review it might sound like I didn't enjoy Three Dark Crowns that much, which isn't true at all and why this review was so difficult to write. I had so much fun reading this book! I looked forward to picking it up everyday. Despite the many flaws, it still makes a wonderfully exciting reading and Blake's writing is extremely strong when it comes to plot and suspense. I definitely recommend this popular book, and am giving it four stars!

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You might also like:
A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
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A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
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The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

  The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh.  G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, 2015.

As The Wrath and the Dawn was preparing to be released, the hype surrounding this novel skyrocketed and continued to do so for weeks after its release. During these times, I heard nothing but great reviews, and the summary sounded great, especially due it being a Thousand and One Nights retelling, so I finally got my hands on it. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this nearly as much as I had hoped.

The Wrath and the Dawn is a retelling of the Arabian Nights that centers upon the Caliph of Khorasan, Khalid, who is known for taking many new wives and having them killed by the morning after their wedding night. Shahrzad is a sixteen-year-old girl who has lost a dear friend to Khalid, and vows to willingly become his next bride in order to take revenge for her friend and all of the women Khalid has killed. And then, of course, there are a variety of complications and events that make this a much more involved story.

I wanted to like this so badly, I really did... but I just didn't. The writing was beautiful, but the content of the story did not match the quality of the writing itself. Retellings are supposed to be imaginative and colorful, and this simply wasn't either of those. I felt very detached from the dialogue, characters, and plot, and I felt like once I was finally beginning to get to the meat of the plot in the very last few pages of the book - poof, it was over.

One of my biggest issues was with the magical elements that were so incredibly sparse throughout the story; they almost acted as a tease. There was enough magic to make it noticeable and, of course, useful, but it was severely lacking. It was used so briefly that I was left wondering what its purpose was and why it wasn't brought in sooner. Khalid's issues with magic seemed odd, and Shahrzad's own traits were hardly developed and only created more questions. The only good side to this is that there are plenty of topics to cover in the second novel.

The most disappointing thing is that Shahrzad is all talk and no bite, which I both liked and disliked. It's realistic, because many people (including myself) often talk fiercer than we actually are. However, in this book  and with this character, I expected more. She vows and threatens to kill the caliph to avenge her friend countless times through the story, but I don't recall her every making one serious attempt. She considers it and even "plans" out ideas to assassinate him, but she never does anything. She doesn't even start to carry out a plan and stop - she just doesn't do anything at all. It's incredibly frustrating. It's not that I'm so desperate for bloodshed and murder, but that that's what I was promised and would have actually made this book interesting. Also, if you're planning to kill a king, do not draw attention to yourself by showing your strengths - such as great archery skill - and stop being so defiant and breaking rules!

Also, I did not understand the relationship between Shahrzad and her handmaid, Despina. There was just something that never really worked between, and despite their banter that I think was meant to be endearing, they didn't ever fit together. I couldn't always discern the meaning behind her snide comments to Shahrazad either, but maybe that was just my misunderstandings.

Oh, and what about Shahrzad's original boyfriend? He appears to have been totally forgotten. She was 'so in love' with him, but spends some time with the caliph and suddenly forgets about him and no longer cares for him. But then we have Shahrzad and the caliph, but their chemistry was.. odd. I felt like we went from zero to hundred in no time, and it simply did not flow or convince me in the slightest.

Despite all of this, I did somehow manage to finish this book, which is interesting because I'm not the type to waste my time. I think the saving grace to this book was Ahdieh's prose, which was wonderfully descriptive and smooth. While this made The Wrath and the Dawn a readable novel, it created too much focus on irrelevant details that weren't necessary to the story.

Will I read the sequel? Honestly, I'm not sure. I'm not particularly convinced by the this one, but Ahdieh has left plenty of plot points to delve into for the next book, so I'll probably give it a shot. Overall, I have to give The Wrath and the Stars two-and-a-half stars because it simple was not a solid book that I enjoyed or felt had more going for it. However, if you do enjoy some dramatic romance and lovely writing, then perhaps you should still give this book a chance - everyone has different opinions, and there are plenty of people out there who did actually love this book.

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You might also like:
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
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Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Herman

Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Herman. Harlequin Teen, 2015. 384 pages. Ebook. 

**I received a copy of Legacy of Kings courtesy of Harlequin Teen**

Legacy of Kings has left me with so many mixed feelings. To begin, I'm a classics major, so anything having to do with the Ancient Greeks immediately grabs my attention. I also have a weird obsession with Alexander the Great, so when I heard that Legacy of Kings was centered on Alexander, I was hooked. Then, when I received an email from from Harlequin Teen offering me a copy in exchange for an honest review, I was excited to finally read this book.

Unfortunately, things didn't go too well.

This is not a book solely focused on Alexander; instead, he is only one of many characters whose perspectives we are shifted between. Also, just as a side note - do not go into this thinking it is historically accurate, because it simply is not. That wasn't a problem for me, as I knew this is in advance and wasn't expecting accuracy - it is fiction, after all - but I know this bothers a lot of people, so I thought I'd throw it out.

Legacy of Kings got off to a rather slow start, but after a while it finally picked up a bit and I found myself beginning to enjoy the story. However, this was somewhat short-lived because as I begin to get further and further into the story, I found myself struggling to finish. I feel that Herman could have developed some of her storylines more, which would drag the reader in just a bit more. The plot itself was interesting, but there was too much going on to actually enjoy or understand it. If it had been cut down into only a few of the plot lines, it would have been much more enjoyable. As soon as I began to understand and get into one thing that was happening, it suddenly switched over to another event.

...which leads me to the next point. Too. Many. Characters. I had a difficult time keeping them all straight. In all, we have perspectives from Alex, Heph (Hephastion), Zo (Zofia), Cyn (Cynane), Jacob (no nickname), and Kat (Katerina). (Okay, what is up with all these nicknames?) While each one had an interesting story, I couldn't quite bring myself to care all that much. There was way too much going on and things became much too convoluted. It takes a certain talent and method of writing to have a large cast of characters and also be successful - George R. R. Martin, for instance - and I'm sorry to say that it was simply lacking here. There was, from my perspective, very little order, and everything simply felt too muddled; there was too much abrupt switching.

Despite the issue of too many characters, I do think that Herman crafted their personalities with great care and tried to develop each one's unique viewpoint. The female characters, however, seemed almost slightly too similar, and in the beginning I had difficulties finding enough distinctions between each character. As the novel progresses, however, Herman successfully develops each character's personal qualities and gives each one their own story to tell.

I did, however, enjoy all of the immense details and time that obviously went into the creation of this novel. Herman took so many great elements from Ancient Greek culture and incorporated them into an intricately developed novel. Regardless of my enjoyment of the story itself, Herman still constructed an exceptionally unique setting and atmosphere.

One last extremely minor and personal issue I had with this book was the use of the nickname of 'Alex' for Alexander the Great. I know this is largely irrelevant to the story, but this nickname doesn't really work for me because it simply takes too much away from who he is; the name 'Alexander' holds so much power that the name 'Alex' simply lacks.

Overall, I was disappointed. I expected a lot more from this book. I think maybe I had too high of expectations. I can't say the book was bad, as it was a truly unique and exciting plotline, I just feel that the execution was strongly lacking. As a result, I am giving Legacy of Kings three stars. While it wasn't exactly what I was hoping for, it was still an interesting and carefully crafted novel that I cannot help but recognize.

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Cleopatra's Shadows by Emily Holleman

Helen of Troy by Margaret George

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Uprooted by Naomi Novik. Del Rey. 438 Pages. Ebook.  

(I'd just like to say that while this cover is lovely and all, I much prefer this one. How gorgeous is that!?)

After reading the synopsis for Uprooted, I was already hooked. Then I saw the many rave reviews, and I knew that I had to read it - and soon.

Now, I'll be honest: I don't think I really fell in love with this book right off the bat, and I certainly found areas that I wasn't overly fond of, such as some of the history. Despite this, I did still love this book quite a lot. To put it in a more simplistic manner: with most things that we love in life, there are aspects of that said thing - or people - that we don't particular like. But that doesn't mean we don't love them, right? You love your friend, sibling, or significant other, but that doesn't mean that you love it when they suddenly stop responding to your messages or leave the dishes in sink (seriously, the dishwasher is right there)! That's how I felt about Uprooted. I loved it, but not always.

Uprooted begins with a small village near the forest and a young woman named Agniezska. Near the village is the forest, which is corrupted with the Wood that threatens to take over the land and people it lies near. In order to prevent this from happening, the mysterious Dragon works hard to stop it. However, he requires one  new young woman to live with him in his tower every ten years in exchange for his help. No one knows what happens to these girls in the tower, only that they come back and eventually move away. The next choosing is coming up, and Agnieszka believes that she is safe, as she, and everyone else in her village, assumes that the dragon will a more beautiful, more graceful girl. As we can expect, Agniezska is wrong.

The first thing that I would like to say about this book is that despite my initial hesitancy that it would fall into worn-out tropes and storylines, it was an entirely fresh and unexpected delight! The pacing was a bit slow in the beginning, but it was drawn out in a way that somehow made it impossible to put down, because it always felt like something important or exciting was going to be happening soon. Though it started out with a rather narrow story with not much room to grow, Uprooted slowly grew into an all-out fantasy heaven with countless conflicts, magical elements, intricate worlds and systems, and well-developed characters.

Agniezska is a delightfully refreshing character. She's incredibly clumsy and doesn't do well with being told what to do; she's headstrong, but also somewhat meek when it comes to things she doesn't know well. The initial Agniezska that we meet in the very beginning seems very fleshed out and well-rounded - it feels as if we already know her and her personality. It doesn't seem as though there is much more we can learn about Agniezska's character, but Novik quickly shuts that down as the story continues and we begin to learn more and see many more sides to Agniezska.

Also: The Dragon is not a real dragon. I can't tell you how incredibly disappoint I was that this was the truth. I expected a dragon. He's just a man. Oh well. Despite that, I still loved his character. He never really strays to far from his cold, rather off-putting demeanor, and I really, really appreciated that. There are too many books where the intitally cold and rude character suddenly 180s and becomes a friendly, humourous person. The Dragon is deeply layered, and as the story progresses we are able to unfold his life, his story, and how he gotten to the place he is today. We learn of his motivations and fears, while also watching him change in very subtle but important ways. I won't say much more regarding the Dragon, as I don't want to give away any spoilers.

Personally, I consider the Wood a character in itself, as it drastically influenced the novel and really seemed to have a mind of its own. I loved the eerily creepy Wood, which is an entire forest that's alive with evil and corruption, ready to take anyone that comes its way and claim them as their own, corrupting them to where they are no long really human at all. And really, that's what this book is all about: fighting back against the Wood and preventing it from taking over the land and villages outside of it.

Novik's writing is simply stunning. She does not merely borrow words and turn them into a story. Rather, Novik molds, creates, and blends her words to create a beautiful, fluid story that draws you in and keeps you hooked. This is not to say that Novik does not incorporate humour and other elements of writing into her book, but instead combines them all in a wonderfully exciting and engaging manner. Novik also lets the content of her novel take her wherever it needs to be, and I enjoy that she didn't cover up anything regarding sexual content or violence.

Overall, I am giving Uprooted a four star out of five rating, as it is a carefully and perfectly crafted novel, full of engaging characters and imaginative ideas, but it didn't quite have that 'wow' factor that I was looking for. I would recommend Uprooted for fans of fantasy, young adult/adult fiction, exciting new magical ideas and systems, and for those who enjoy a little darkness with their reading.

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If you enjoy Uprooted, you might also like:
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas
Hidden Huntress by Danielle Jensen
The Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas
Azurite by Megan Dent Nagle

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Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas Book Review

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas. Bloomsbury USA Childrens; 2013. 418 pages. Ebook.

Having just finished Throne of Glass the day before, I was beyond excited to start Crown of Midnight. It did not disappoint.

Now, Throne of Glass was enthralling; I loved every second of it - the relationships, friendships, contests, battles, everything. Crown of Midnight only proved to further enhance the characters, plot, and setting and Celaena Sardothien's world.

There were almost constant (dare I say relentless) twists, turns, and complications that kept me hooked. Some extremely monumental events occur (which I will not mention, as I try to keep spoilers either minimal or non-existent in my reviews) that will undoubtedly shake you up and leave you wondering what on earth just happened. It's heartbreaking, violent, and wonderful all in one. It's also incredibly unpredictable. In my opinion, there is honestly no way you can really guess what is going to happen at any given moment.

The relations  between characters are also intensified and reach brand new levels of depth and conflict. It becomes very complicated. Let's start off with Chaol, who is an extremely secretive, intelligent, and fiercely loyal king's guard. Maas does truly remarkable work in portraying Chaol's many inner conflicts, such as how he must navigate the court politics and where his true loyalties lie. He is fiercely and unwavering loyal to the king, but also now has Celaena, whom he continues to become more bewitched by and protective of every day. Chaol was already an important character in the first book, but his role becomes much, much larger in this second book and allows an already loved and fascinating character become that much more intriguing. The chemistry between Celaena and Chaol is also perfect; he knows just how to deal with her, and the dialogue and moments between them are incredible fluid.

Secondly, we have Dorian. I feel that Dorian has matured quite a lot between the first and second novels. He is beginning to understand his role as Prince and is finally developing his own strong opinions, as well as gaining the courage to stand up to his father if he doesn't agree with him. Dorian has a lot to deal with; he struggles to not go against his father and role as Prince, but he does not always want to go with what the king may want. Dorian also makes a rather shocking discovery in the book (against, no specifics for no spoilers) that leaves him with many questions and potentially dire consequences. Dorian and Celaena continue to go through many things together, and we are able to witness a true, meaningful friendship form between the two, creating an unbreakable and incredibly strong bond between them.

Finally, Celaena. Celaena has countless sides to her personalities. She's perfectly flawed. Celaena also undergoes many changes throughout this book - some good, and some awful. In Crown of Midnight, readers are finally able to see the depths of Celaena's mind, where her vengeful and incredibly emotional feelings dwell. She turns almost robot-like, working only for she knows. Celaena also has this almost limitless courage, though not all of it is necessarily wise. Maas is truly a master of character development, which is completely evident with Celaena.

While many people may see Celaena, Chaol, and Dorian as a love triangle, I'm not sure I completely agree with that. Celaena undoubtedly has feeling strong feelings for both men, but as the novel progresses we are able to discern the types of feelings that she has for both men, and we can begin to easily understand which man is truly meant for Celaena.

Crown of Midnight takes Throne of Glass to an entirely new level. It's like eating the perfect ice cream and thinking it can't get any better, but then you add amazing toppings and it's suddenly a whole new flavorful and delectable world. The violence and intensity completely skyrocket as we are able to see the severity of Celaena's dark side. I would also like to add that Maas' writing is flawless. She knows how to tell a fantasy story. There is no confusion, no overstatements, but also no understatements. It's perfect. Overall, Crown of Midnight is receiving five stars, much like its predecessor. I just can't help it.

Sea of Shadows by Kelley Armstrong

Sea of Shadows, by Kelley Armstrong. HarperCollins; 2014. 406 pages. Hardcover.

Sea of Shadows was a book that I stumbled onto on BookOutlet when they were having a huge sale and it was only $1.99. It seemed interesting, it was cheap, I was on a book-buying spree, and how can you say no to $1.99?

I must be honest, I don’t quite understand why this book has so many low reviews. I can understand a few, and even not having really high ratings, but not necessarily the really low ones. Many people seem to believe it was boring, and while I guess I can understand their view, I politely disagree. It was very engaging, and full of exciting action, folklore, and entertaining characters.

In brief, Sea of Shadows follows twin sisters Moria and Ashyn, the Keeper and Seeker, respectively, of a town called Edgewood. When their entire village is destroyed, they must venture on a journey to find out what has gone wrong.

The characters were very appealing, however I do think that each character needed to have a more defined and unique voice. Twin sisters Ashyn and Moria were lovely, entertaining characters, but not too different. Their personalities are described as being extreme opposites, Ashyn being shy and gentle, and Moria being much tougher and more outgoing. This is evident at times, but overall I think they had similar voices that sometimes made for little distinction between the alternating chapter viewpoints. However, I could also see their similar voices as being a method of showing how close both girls are; since they are Seeker and Keeper of Edgewood and twin sisters that have grown up very close together, it only makes sense that they might share similar voices or qualities. Supporting characters Ronan and Gavril were also quite a delight, but again, shared many similar traits, and to be quite honest, I’m not sure if I can even remember who accompanied each girl on their journey. Entertaining, but not overly memorable. I’m getting a wee bit tired of every single boy/girl pairing in a book ending up with some romantic setting.

I do feel that the story lacked adequate description and worldbuilding. While certain aspects were described in great detail (particularly violence), I did feel a bit lost in where exactly things were takig place, and what the culture of these places was. Another issue was the mirroring and repetitiveness that occurred throughout the story. It seemed like everything was the same: Moria and a companion travel and fight forces against them, Ashyn and a companion travel and fight forces against them. Perhaps this is a plot device trick for Armstrong, or perhaps it’s just a small lack of originality.

Kelley Armstrong definitely knows how to write. However, I do think I expected more. I’ve heard people rave and rave about Kelley Armstrong, but I had never had a chance to read anything until now. I thought the book was great, but not quite up to par with all the praise I’ve been hearing for Armstrong. I was a bit disappointed that the ending was a bit of a cliffhanger, since I wasn’t necessarily planning on reading the rest of the series, but now I feel somewhat obligated, and I am interested to find out what will befall these characters.

Overall, it’s not the most memorable story. However, I still thought it was a very enjoyable read, and definitely worth a shot for someone that’s just looking for a good book to read. Because of this, I am giving Sea of Shadows 3 ½ stars.

Sea of Shadows comes out on Wednesday, March 3rd!

Empire of Night, book 2 in the Age of Legends series, comes out April 7th, 2015!

Fall 2015 YA Cover Reveals (courtesy of Epic Reads)

Let's just talk for a second about the new cover reveals going on at Epic Reads for fall 2015. I'm pretty excited. It likes there are going to be some really great books coming out this fall, and I know this is only the half of it!

Here are some of the ones that I am most excited for/I know many others will be excited for:
(all books/summaries/information are courtesy of Epic Reads)

1. Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson
I loved The Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy, and was extremely saddened when I finished the trilogy. Although Carson's new book is completely unrelated, I am so excited to see what she has in store for us now. I really enjoyed Carson's writing style and character creations.

From what I can gather, the gist of this book is that it's set in the Gold Rush era with a girl who can sense where gold is located. Sounds like a pretty good place to be to me! This is a very unique premise to me; I haven't read many (or any) books set in the Gold Rush era, let alone adding magical elements to it!

Release Date: September 22nd

2. Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch
I'm just now reading Snow Like Ashes and so far I am really, really loving it! I love the idea of using the Seasons as a world set-up, and Raasch executes it wonderfully. I am now extremely excited for the release of Ice Like Fire, the sequel to Snow Like Ashes.

Release Date: October 13th

3. Newt's Emerald by Garth Nix
Garth Nix is a personal favorite. I remember reading The Keys to the Kingdom when I was 10 years old, and they really helped to spark my love for fantasy. Since then, I've always had a soft spot for Nix. You can read a summary of this at Epic Reads or Goodreads. It seems to be quite a departure from Nix's past work, so it should definitely be an interesting read.

Also, I am in love with this cover. How could you not love that!? (if you dont, it's really okay, I'll only judge you a little)

Release Date: October 13th

4. Da Vinci's Tiger by Laura Malone Elliot
I love da Vinci, I love historical, and I think this has wonderful potential! Basically, this story follows Ginevra de Benci, who falls in love with Leonardo da Vinci and becomes his muse. (you can find a better summary at Goodreads) Renaissance Florence is such an exciting and vibrant time period, and I think this novel will be an extremely interesting look into the romance between da Vinci and de Benci.

Release date: November 24th

5. Ash & Bramble by Sarah Prineas
I am such a sucker for fairytale retellings, and this extremely reworked story of Cinderella sounds amazing! What I like about this retelling is it seem as though the author is trying to make the "Cinderella" character much more independent and reliant on herself, rather than a nice young prince. All in all, I'm very intrigued for this one.

Personally, this cover isn't my favorite. I think if they were to just take out the nice woman there and leave everything else, it would be much better.

Release date: September 15th

6. Velvet Undercover by Teri Brown
This is one of those completely unexpected novels that I knew nothing about, and I know just about nothing about the author. The story follows a young British girls who acts as a spy during World War I. I don't know about you, but that sounds pretty enticing to me. Who doesn't love a good spy novel?

Release date: October 20th

7. This Monstrous Thing by Mackenzi Lee
Two words: "reimagined Frankenstein." You've got me. Hook, line, and sinker. A young boy brings his brother back from the dead... and then Frankenstein is published. There's your basic plot. I'm so excited. I know I've said that so much already, but seriously. I haven't read very many Frankenstein retellings, and this is so cool.

Release Date: October 13th

9.  The Immortal Heights by Sherry Thomas 
And for those of you who are fans of Sherry Thomas' The Burning Sky trilogy... the third and final installment is coming! I read the first one, and while I liked it, I didn't  like it enough to read the second (which wasn't out yet, I don't think), but with so many people talking about it lately it's really giving me the itch to check it out again. The Burning Sky is book 1, followed by The Perilous Sea, and now wrapping it up is The Immortal Heights.

Release date: October 13th


What are you guys most excited for!? Leave a comment below!


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Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Daughter of Smoke and Bone, by Laini Taylor. Little, Brown; 2014. 448 pages. Ebook.

I loved this book. I really, truly did.

The backstory (skip if uninterested): I first heard about it a couple of years ago when it first came out, thought it sounded interesting... but then quickly forgot about it and moved on. I don't think it particularly stuck out to me at the time. Then, as the years progressed, I kept seeing and hearing more and more about this book, and I added it back to my "to read soon" shelf. I finally picked it up (and bypicked it up, I mean checked it out from an online  library - heck yeah, love those things) on my Kindle. I don't really like reading on my Kindle, but I had absolutely no problem making it through this one.

However, I find it necessary to clarify: just because one may love a book, it does not mean that there were not elements that I did not enjoy. Okay, clarification over.

The review:

Laini Taylor is a serious master wordsmith. Her writing is a lyrical, flowing masterpiece. She knows exactly how to craft her sentences and words to create a perfect scene or emotion. With Taylor, simple says a lot. I can honestly say that her writing did not appear cliche'd in any manner, and truly seemed unique. It really helped with the creation of the world she has created, a world that is truly entertaining and remarkable. Taylor has also been able to incorporate some truly marvelous humour into her narrative that really brings color and life into the story.

Another aspect that I really enjoyed about this book was the characters. Taylor has created an extremely vibrant cast, each with their own distinct personality. They really have depth, as well, which, sadly, I have not been able to find lately in a lot of books. It was so entertaining to read the banter that went back and forth between the various characters. I also really liked the fact that her characters were so real. By that I mean that they weren't perfect. They make mistakes, they say and do stupid things, and they have realistic personalities ad reactions.

The only thing that I wasn't a huge fan of was the shifting perspectives and storylines. I tend to get confused fairly easily with books when they do this, and to be honest it just annoys me, so this bothered me a bit. However, I will say that it did not negatively impede the story or flow, and as you can see, I was still able to really enjoy the story.

I realize that this review has been slightly vague, lacking details about specific characters and such, but I really feel that this is a book that you should go into knowing the basic plot of, but not knowing too much about (not that it's bad if you know a lot). I honestly did not know much, and it just seemed to make it much more enjoyable for me.

So if you, like me, have been putting this book off for a while, don't do it any longer. Pick it up as soon as you can and just allow yourself to get sucked into this truly remarkable world. I've been in a  little bit of a reading rut lately, and it's been hard for me to lose myself in a book like I used to. With this book, however, it was so easy. Go grab a copy, and don't put it down.