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erinarkin20
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Review to come.
Review to come.
Queen of Blood by Jill Myles is a book I just happened to come across as I was scanning NetGalley one day and I am so happy I took a chance on it. I found myself flipping through the pages to see what was going to happen. This was an interesting twist on the standard vampire story and I enjoyed it a lot.
Seri is a poor, Vidari, goose girl who really just wants to take care of her father and her sister. She is also looking forward to getting hand-fasted to the boy she loves, Rilen. As we learn more about her, we find out that Rilen is a rebel who doesn’t believe that the rulers of Athon should control their people and it is this belief that changes everything for Seri.
By chance, she crosses path with an Athon noble woman who wants to stand out in a crowd of nobles trying to gain the attention of the Prince. Her thought is to have a “wild” Vidari as her attendant. At first, Seri refuses but when she tells her story to Rilen, he realizes this is the best way for him and his rebels to get inside the castle. By convincing Seri to do this, her life is changed completely.
The other piece to this story is the Athon Prince, Graeme. His father has sent him to the lands of Vidara just in time for his Betrothal Ceremony. Not only is he searching for his Eterna, the one woman who will be his eternal-mate and help quench the thirst the curse on his family has created, but he is also there to determine how best to take care of the rebels and get them in line.
The curse I mentioned was a direct result of the King of Athon offending the Goddess. Because of his actions, the Goddess determined his line would never be granted any daughters (because he killed his own) and he would only have sons that were as cursed as he is. They would also not be able to stand the sun and forced to drink the blood of others to survive. The key to this is that they would never be satisfied because the blood would quickly lose it draw and they would be forever hungry. Here’s the twist…an Eterna would end it all but there has never been one found in recorded history so to say that Graeme is a bit pessimistic that he will find his is probably fair.
You can probably guess where I am going with this story. With Seri right in the line of fire, she is found to be Graeme’s Eterna and following the will of the Goddess, Graeme follows through with the marriage.
Their relationship is rough although I have to say, Graeme goes into it with an open mind. Granted he doesn’t really know what Seri is up to but he definitely has a different outlook about the Vidari than his Athonite people do and he is also willing to give their marriage a chance. As the story progresses, Seri and Graeme definitely change and really I would say that Seri changes the most. Graeme seemed to have a different feeling toward Seri than she did toward him but he is also the one with all of the power. Because of that, even though he never really thought he would marry a Vidari, he still wasn't forced into the marriage in the same way that Seri was so I can sympathize with her.
As for characters, I liked Seri. There were times that I really wanted her to see what Rilen was up to and how he was using her but of course, she was looking at him as the boy she loved and wanted to spend her life with, why would he betray and use her. Rilen annoyed me. He only thought about himself and his end goal, not about the danger he was putting Seri in and in the end I wasn’t saddened by how things went for him.
I thought Myles did a wonderful job of creating this world and the story within. As I mentioned, I flew through this book. It is a quick read and yes, some of it is obvious but I didn’t think it hurt the story. I thought there was plenty of action, intrigue, and swoony bits to keep me entertained. If you are looking for a vampire story with a bit of a twist definitely check this one out - I'm glad I did!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy!
Seri is a poor, Vidari, goose girl who really just wants to take care of her father and her sister. She is also looking forward to getting hand-fasted to the boy she loves, Rilen. As we learn more about her, we find out that Rilen is a rebel who doesn’t believe that the rulers of Athon should control their people and it is this belief that changes everything for Seri.
By chance, she crosses path with an Athon noble woman who wants to stand out in a crowd of nobles trying to gain the attention of the Prince. Her thought is to have a “wild” Vidari as her attendant. At first, Seri refuses but when she tells her story to Rilen, he realizes this is the best way for him and his rebels to get inside the castle. By convincing Seri to do this, her life is changed completely.
The other piece to this story is the Athon Prince, Graeme. His father has sent him to the lands of Vidara just in time for his Betrothal Ceremony. Not only is he searching for his Eterna, the one woman who will be his eternal-mate and help quench the thirst the curse on his family has created, but he is also there to determine how best to take care of the rebels and get them in line.
The curse I mentioned was a direct result of the King of Athon offending the Goddess. Because of his actions, the Goddess determined his line would never be granted any daughters (because he killed his own) and he would only have sons that were as cursed as he is. They would also not be able to stand the sun and forced to drink the blood of others to survive. The key to this is that they would never be satisfied because the blood would quickly lose it draw and they would be forever hungry. Here’s the twist…an Eterna would end it all but there has never been one found in recorded history so to say that Graeme is a bit pessimistic that he will find his is probably fair.
You can probably guess where I am going with this story. With Seri right in the line of fire, she is found to be Graeme’s Eterna and following the will of the Goddess, Graeme follows through with the marriage.
Their relationship is rough although I have to say, Graeme goes into it with an open mind. Granted he doesn’t really know what Seri is up to but he definitely has a different outlook about the Vidari than his Athonite people do and he is also willing to give their marriage a chance. As the story progresses, Seri and Graeme definitely change and really I would say that Seri changes the most. Graeme seemed to have a different feeling toward Seri than she did toward him but he is also the one with all of the power. Because of that, even though he never really thought he would marry a Vidari, he still wasn't forced into the marriage in the same way that Seri was so I can sympathize with her.
As for characters, I liked Seri. There were times that I really wanted her to see what Rilen was up to and how he was using her but of course, she was looking at him as the boy she loved and wanted to spend her life with, why would he betray and use her. Rilen annoyed me. He only thought about himself and his end goal, not about the danger he was putting Seri in and in the end I wasn’t saddened by how things went for him.
I thought Myles did a wonderful job of creating this world and the story within. As I mentioned, I flew through this book. It is a quick read and yes, some of it is obvious but I didn’t think it hurt the story. I thought there was plenty of action, intrigue, and swoony bits to keep me entertained. If you are looking for a vampire story with a bit of a twist definitely check this one out - I'm glad I did!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy!
The Corridor by A.N. Willis was an interesting read. I love a good sci-fi story and the summary pulled me in immediately. There are alternate universes, science, and some swoony parts - if you like those things, you might also enjoy this story.
The main character, Stel, is solid. She loves her family and is willing to do whatever she needs to in order to protect them. Her father used to be the Chair of the Corridor Facility but when something goes wrong with the Corridor, he is blamed and ultimately removed from his position. The person who ends up replacing him is the same person who Stel and her family trusted…her best friend’s mom, Dr. Tabor.
Not only does this turn of events make things awkward for the girls and force Stel to avoid her best friend, but Stel also has a larger secret to keep. The day of the surge at the facility not only ruined her father’s career, it also changed Stel. See, her big secret is that now she has the corridor literally at her fingertips and she can travel to any of the alternate universes whenever she wants.
There is an added layer to this story in that Dr. Tabor has been gathering Mods (genetically modified Second Earthers) in camps because their version of Earth was destroyed by their experimentation with the Corridor. People on First Earth feared the Mods because they were stronger, faster, and had powers. Other than segregation to protect the people of First Earth from the Mods, I am unclear as to why the Mods were separated and then why the children were separated from their family. I want to know more.
What I liked about this book was the build of the worlds that Stel visits. I thought Willis did a wonderful job of explaining the existence of the different universes and then how they were accessible and linked. There were times that the story dragged a bit but in the end, I thought Willis did a wonderful job of closing out book one with a bang. I am very curious to see where book two goes with Stel’s story.
As the story moves forward, we are introduced to some other characters who Stel crosses paths with on another version of Earth. Flinn and Cohl are brothers and at first, Stel is drawn to Flinn. His personality is open and trusting and Cohl is the exact opposite, he is distrustful and it is that exact thing that throws these two characters together. Eventually things shift for Stel and she is instead finding herself drawn to Cohl. When Stel shares her secret with him, Cohl supports her.
There isn’t much more I can say here without giving anything away so…if you like alternate universe stories and sci-fi, consider checking this one out. I thought Willis did a great job with the science piece and tied in plenty of action and swoony parts to keep the story moving along.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the review copy.
The main character, Stel, is solid. She loves her family and is willing to do whatever she needs to in order to protect them. Her father used to be the Chair of the Corridor Facility but when something goes wrong with the Corridor, he is blamed and ultimately removed from his position. The person who ends up replacing him is the same person who Stel and her family trusted…her best friend’s mom, Dr. Tabor.
Not only does this turn of events make things awkward for the girls and force Stel to avoid her best friend, but Stel also has a larger secret to keep. The day of the surge at the facility not only ruined her father’s career, it also changed Stel. See, her big secret is that now she has the corridor literally at her fingertips and she can travel to any of the alternate universes whenever she wants.
There is an added layer to this story in that Dr. Tabor has been gathering Mods (genetically modified Second Earthers) in camps because their version of Earth was destroyed by their experimentation with the Corridor. People on First Earth feared the Mods because they were stronger, faster, and had powers. Other than segregation to protect the people of First Earth from the Mods, I am unclear as to why the Mods were separated and then why the children were separated from their family. I want to know more.
What I liked about this book was the build of the worlds that Stel visits. I thought Willis did a wonderful job of explaining the existence of the different universes and then how they were accessible and linked. There were times that the story dragged a bit but in the end, I thought Willis did a wonderful job of closing out book one with a bang. I am very curious to see where book two goes with Stel’s story.
As the story moves forward, we are introduced to some other characters who Stel crosses paths with on another version of Earth. Flinn and Cohl are brothers and at first, Stel is drawn to Flinn. His personality is open and trusting and Cohl is the exact opposite, he is distrustful and it is that exact thing that throws these two characters together. Eventually things shift for Stel and she is instead finding herself drawn to Cohl. When Stel shares her secret with him, Cohl supports her.
There isn’t much more I can say here without giving anything away so…if you like alternate universe stories and sci-fi, consider checking this one out. I thought Willis did a great job with the science piece and tied in plenty of action and swoony parts to keep the story moving along.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the review copy.
The Stellow Project by Shari Becker was one of those books where I read the blurb and immediately thought I needed to read it. I love a great sci-fi and when you mix in solid characters and an “off the grid” research facility…count me in!
Lilah has never been healthy. Since she was a child she has had problems breathing and now at seventeen, she still isn’t able to be without her medication and seems to do better when she is with her family at their cottage, away from the city. When her father calls and tells her to get her sister and her best friend and head to the cottage, she doesn’t really think twice about it. As they are headed out of the city though, they realize just how dangerous things are…not just because of Lilah’s problems breathing.
When they finally make it to the cottage, the girls realize that they just missed a tornado and they are worried about their families. On top of that, Lilah has some time to think and also gets an odd call from her father. She has never had a reason to not trust her dad but as things get weirder for Lilah, she starts to question what is really going on and it turns out, her parents are right at the center of everything.
I really liked seeing how Lilah grew over the span of this book. At first she comes across as a very fragile girl who doesn’t really know how to take care of herself, much less her little sister. She has always blamed her illness for her inability to do anything and eventually she gets called out for it.
As the story moves forward, we find out what Lilah’s parents have been up to. The last half of the book moves fairly quickly and I have to admit, until Lilah and Daniel start to figure things out, I wasn’t sure where Becker was really going to go with the story. I do wish we had found out more about why Lilah’s parents did what they did and what their real endgame was and as I hit the very end, I couldn’t wait to dive into the next book to see what happens next for both Lilah and Flori.
I thought that Becker did a great job of building out the research facility and the mystery around it. There are definitely some more secrets and I hope that we learn more about what Daniel’s mom is trying to accomplish as well.
There is a bit of romance in this book and I thought it was blended in well. Daniel is a solid character and while I wouldn’t say he was super swoony, he was the balance that Lilah needed to realize she is more than just her sickness. As their friendship, and then relationship, begins to develop, Daniel and Lilah lean on each other for courage. It is their relationship that causes Lilah to think twice about what Daniel would have to give up if he helps her so instead, she makes the decision to figure things out with Flori on her own.
Overall this was a great book one. As I mentioned, the beginning felt slow as Lilah tries to figure everything out but trust me, once things hit a certain point, the story picks up and I found myself quickly turning the pages to see what would happen next. If you’re looking for a science fiction story with some action, romance, and some definite twists, check this book out! I am absolutely looking forward to the next book in this series…and although this isn’t listed as a series I am optimistic just based on that ending!
Thank you to the author for the review copy!
Lilah has never been healthy. Since she was a child she has had problems breathing and now at seventeen, she still isn’t able to be without her medication and seems to do better when she is with her family at their cottage, away from the city. When her father calls and tells her to get her sister and her best friend and head to the cottage, she doesn’t really think twice about it. As they are headed out of the city though, they realize just how dangerous things are…not just because of Lilah’s problems breathing.
When they finally make it to the cottage, the girls realize that they just missed a tornado and they are worried about their families. On top of that, Lilah has some time to think and also gets an odd call from her father. She has never had a reason to not trust her dad but as things get weirder for Lilah, she starts to question what is really going on and it turns out, her parents are right at the center of everything.
I really liked seeing how Lilah grew over the span of this book. At first she comes across as a very fragile girl who doesn’t really know how to take care of herself, much less her little sister. She has always blamed her illness for her inability to do anything and eventually she gets called out for it.
As the story moves forward, we find out what Lilah’s parents have been up to. The last half of the book moves fairly quickly and I have to admit, until Lilah and Daniel start to figure things out, I wasn’t sure where Becker was really going to go with the story. I do wish we had found out more about why Lilah’s parents did what they did and what their real endgame was and as I hit the very end, I couldn’t wait to dive into the next book to see what happens next for both Lilah and Flori.
I thought that Becker did a great job of building out the research facility and the mystery around it. There are definitely some more secrets and I hope that we learn more about what Daniel’s mom is trying to accomplish as well.
There is a bit of romance in this book and I thought it was blended in well. Daniel is a solid character and while I wouldn’t say he was super swoony, he was the balance that Lilah needed to realize she is more than just her sickness. As their friendship, and then relationship, begins to develop, Daniel and Lilah lean on each other for courage. It is their relationship that causes Lilah to think twice about what Daniel would have to give up if he helps her so instead, she makes the decision to figure things out with Flori on her own.
Overall this was a great book one. As I mentioned, the beginning felt slow as Lilah tries to figure everything out but trust me, once things hit a certain point, the story picks up and I found myself quickly turning the pages to see what would happen next. If you’re looking for a science fiction story with some action, romance, and some definite twists, check this book out! I am absolutely looking forward to the next book in this series…and although this isn’t listed as a series I am optimistic just based on that ending!
Thank you to the author for the review copy!
I hope that if you haven't read this yet, you have access to it because I loved this book.
Yes this is a retelling of Cinderella but I have to say, the twist makes it interesting and engaging. How can it it not be with cyborgs involved?? Seriously - the underlying Cinderella story is there but there are added layers that had me from the beginning.
I will say, yes, there was some predictability but that didn't take away from the overall story and although I knew what was coming, I was still turning the pages to see what happened next.
The characters in this book are great - Cinder is strong but still insecure and unsure of herself because of what she is. Meyer did a great job of bringing me into the story and I was able to experience all the highs and lows right along side Cinder. Kai was great too. I loved the interaction between the two of them and this is probably one of the things that has me wanting to get my hands on the next book right now. They were both smart and witty. Their banter and sarcasm wasn't just present in their conversations, it carried over into conversations with other characters and I enjoyed it.
The ending is the other thing that has me asking anyone and everyone to share an arc with me...GAH - I closed this book and immediately needed to see how much longer I have to wait until I can get my hands on a copy - I can tell you right now it will be too long.
Great characters, an interesting story with a little romance mixed in...you can't go wrong. Oh and cyborgs...if nothing else, read it just because of that nice twist.
Yes this is a retelling of Cinderella but I have to say, the twist makes it interesting and engaging. How can it it not be with cyborgs involved?? Seriously - the underlying Cinderella story is there but there are added layers that had me from the beginning.
I will say, yes, there was some predictability but that didn't take away from the overall story and although I knew what was coming, I was still turning the pages to see what happened next.
The characters in this book are great - Cinder is strong but still insecure and unsure of herself because of what she is. Meyer did a great job of bringing me into the story and I was able to experience all the highs and lows right along side Cinder. Kai was great too. I loved the interaction between the two of them and this is probably one of the things that has me wanting to get my hands on the next book right now. They were both smart and witty. Their banter and sarcasm wasn't just present in their conversations, it carried over into conversations with other characters and I enjoyed it.
The ending is the other thing that has me asking anyone and everyone to share an arc with me...GAH - I closed this book and immediately needed to see how much longer I have to wait until I can get my hands on a copy - I can tell you right now it will be too long.
Great characters, an interesting story with a little romance mixed in...you can't go wrong. Oh and cyborgs...if nothing else, read it just because of that nice twist.
I loved this...
I just finished telling someone I think I enjoyed this book more than I did Cinder…which is saying a lot since I really liked Cinder and gave it 5 stars. I will admit, at first I was worried that this story would take me away from Cinder and her story but that really didn’t happen here.
The story picks up with Cinder in jail and trying to escape. She happens to come across Carswell Thorne who I will admit to having a slight crush on. Just the fact that he is winking in his prison picture has earned him a place in my heart. Don’t get me wrong, he is pretty full of himself but it was done in a way that made me like him more. The banter between him and Cinder was another plus.
At the same time, the other main storyline involves Scarlet Benoit and Wolf. Scarlet’s grandmother has gone missing and she is determined to find here – whether anyone will help her or not. Depending upon how you look at it, she meets Wolf. Although she suspects he has had a hand in her grandmother’s disappearance, she decides she is going to trust him and they begin their journey.
Where Cinder’s character was shy and nervous in the first book, Scarlet is the exact opposite. She is tough, opinionated, and independent. I really liked her and I honestly really liked seeing her relationship with Wolf evolve. The entire time I was reading, I was thinking…wait, the wolf is bad in the fairytale but I kept wishing for it not to be true. I don’t want to give anything away so I won’t but I was cautiously optimistic that I would get what I wanted.
I loved how Meyer brought all of the different pieces of the story together. At first I wasn’t sure how it was going to flow but she did it well by rotating the different pieces in and out. This was a well done second book and if how much I liked this one compared to the first book is any indication, Goodreads better come up with a way to give more than 5 stars.
I just finished telling someone I think I enjoyed this book more than I did Cinder…which is saying a lot since I really liked Cinder and gave it 5 stars. I will admit, at first I was worried that this story would take me away from Cinder and her story but that really didn’t happen here.
The story picks up with Cinder in jail and trying to escape. She happens to come across Carswell Thorne who I will admit to having a slight crush on. Just the fact that he is winking in his prison picture has earned him a place in my heart. Don’t get me wrong, he is pretty full of himself but it was done in a way that made me like him more. The banter between him and Cinder was another plus.
At the same time, the other main storyline involves Scarlet Benoit and Wolf. Scarlet’s grandmother has gone missing and she is determined to find here – whether anyone will help her or not. Depending upon how you look at it, she meets Wolf. Although she suspects he has had a hand in her grandmother’s disappearance, she decides she is going to trust him and they begin their journey.
Where Cinder’s character was shy and nervous in the first book, Scarlet is the exact opposite. She is tough, opinionated, and independent. I really liked her and I honestly really liked seeing her relationship with Wolf evolve. The entire time I was reading, I was thinking…wait, the wolf is bad in the fairytale but I kept wishing for it not to be true. I don’t want to give anything away so I won’t but I was cautiously optimistic that I would get what I wanted.
I loved how Meyer brought all of the different pieces of the story together. At first I wasn’t sure how it was going to flow but she did it well by rotating the different pieces in and out. This was a well done second book and if how much I liked this one compared to the first book is any indication, Goodreads better come up with a way to give more than 5 stars.