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erinarkin20
Threats of Sky and Sea by Jennifer Ellision is the first book in a promising fantasy series that grabbed my interest from the very first chapter. There is a strong lead character, well developed secondary characters, mystery and a bit of romance….all things that make me happy. Plus, you all know how much I love my Fantasy books.
Bree is just a normal sixteen year old girl who lives with her normal dad in the countryside…or so we think. In a twist of fate, her whole world changes in the span of a day because she crosses paths with three of the King’s Elemental Soldiers. When they find out who her father really is, Bree and her father are immediately hauled off to face the king where he is then thrown in jail for treason. While her father is faced with being a prisoner, Bree has to adapt to life at court as well as the constant scrutiny of the King and his spies.
I liked Bree – she is smart and loyal. She also isn’t afraid to stand up for herself and do what she needs to in order to survive. She definitely has some surprises pop up throughout the story but none of them break her even though they are all very much life changing. As the story progresses, we see Bree struggle in a world with things she is not familiar with and situations she is not comfortable in but we also see her become more than just a barmaid.
As Bree begins to learn more about who her father is and what the king is after, she also begins to learn more about herself. At the same time that all of this is happening, we are introduced to some interesting secondary characters and I have to admit, I want to know more about all of them. Tregle, Aleta, and Caden are all well developed and each of them has separate relationships with Bree that become integral to the story. One of my favorite things was seeing the friendship develop between Aleta and Bree. They have every reason to not like each other and despite that, they do eventually forge a friendship and it becomes very clear that they will be relying on each other more in the future.
Of course, if you know me, you know that I like a bit of swoon/romance in my books and I have to say, I wanted a bit more here. Don’t get me wrong, what is there is done well but it took super long to get to the kissing. Now...I have to say, this in no way took away from the story. I think I was Just in the mood for swoons from Caden and although I got them at the end, I’m hoping we get more in the future. Of course this leads me to talking about Caden. I loved how he was introduced and just how much he opposes everything his father stands for. There were times though that I wanted him to be more vocal about what he wanted…granted I see why he didn’t considering how evil his father is but still, it might have been interesting to see what happened.
I do also hope we get to learn more about Tregle’s background. He clearly knows things and I feel like his story and secrets will be helpful to Bree as she adapts to her life now and all the things going on. I am also SUPER curious about his and Aleta’s story.
So I can’t say much else here only because I don’t want to give any of the secrets away. And trust me, there are a lot of things to find out. I will say that Ellision has created a world where people who possess Elemental gifts become servants of the king and Bree is definitely in danger along with her family and friends. Having only just begun to learn exactly what her father went through acting on behalf of the king, Bree knows she needs to do something quickly and as she plots her escape, she finds out even more about herself. I’m excited to see what happens in the next book and if you enjoy high fantasy, definitely check this one out. It has plenty of danger and action and while there are some things I wanted to learn more about (Elemental Gifts) I am thinking I will get it in the next book. Now….when does that come out?
Thank you to the author for the review copy!
Bree is just a normal sixteen year old girl who lives with her normal dad in the countryside…or so we think. In a twist of fate, her whole world changes in the span of a day because she crosses paths with three of the King’s Elemental Soldiers. When they find out who her father really is, Bree and her father are immediately hauled off to face the king where he is then thrown in jail for treason. While her father is faced with being a prisoner, Bree has to adapt to life at court as well as the constant scrutiny of the King and his spies.
I liked Bree – she is smart and loyal. She also isn’t afraid to stand up for herself and do what she needs to in order to survive. She definitely has some surprises pop up throughout the story but none of them break her even though they are all very much life changing. As the story progresses, we see Bree struggle in a world with things she is not familiar with and situations she is not comfortable in but we also see her become more than just a barmaid.
As Bree begins to learn more about who her father is and what the king is after, she also begins to learn more about herself. At the same time that all of this is happening, we are introduced to some interesting secondary characters and I have to admit, I want to know more about all of them. Tregle, Aleta, and Caden are all well developed and each of them has separate relationships with Bree that become integral to the story. One of my favorite things was seeing the friendship develop between Aleta and Bree. They have every reason to not like each other and despite that, they do eventually forge a friendship and it becomes very clear that they will be relying on each other more in the future.
Of course, if you know me, you know that I like a bit of swoon/romance in my books and I have to say, I wanted a bit more here. Don’t get me wrong, what is there is done well but it took super long to get to the kissing. Now...I have to say, this in no way took away from the story. I think I was Just in the mood for swoons from Caden and although I got them at the end, I’m hoping we get more in the future. Of course this leads me to talking about Caden. I loved how he was introduced and just how much he opposes everything his father stands for. There were times though that I wanted him to be more vocal about what he wanted…granted I see why he didn’t considering how evil his father is but still, it might have been interesting to see what happened.
I do also hope we get to learn more about Tregle’s background. He clearly knows things and I feel like his story and secrets will be helpful to Bree as she adapts to her life now and all the things going on. I am also SUPER curious about his and Aleta’s story.
So I can’t say much else here only because I don’t want to give any of the secrets away. And trust me, there are a lot of things to find out. I will say that Ellision has created a world where people who possess Elemental gifts become servants of the king and Bree is definitely in danger along with her family and friends. Having only just begun to learn exactly what her father went through acting on behalf of the king, Bree knows she needs to do something quickly and as she plots her escape, she finds out even more about herself. I’m excited to see what happens in the next book and if you enjoy high fantasy, definitely check this one out. It has plenty of danger and action and while there are some things I wanted to learn more about (Elemental Gifts) I am thinking I will get it in the next book. Now….when does that come out?
Thank you to the author for the review copy!
Ahhh...loved this prequel and learning more about the beginnings of this story. If you have read this series make sure you pick this novella up as it provides a glimpse of Bree's parents that I wasn't expecting.
Definitely dark and not for everyone. Review to come.
The Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle was a book that happened to be sent to me and I didn’t really have this one on my radar but I’m glad I received it because this is the type of book I love. It has an intriguing storyline, different characters, and some twists that kept me guessing what would happen throughout.
As the summary notes, every October Cara and her family become very accident-prone. This year is projected to be particularly bad and as Cara digs into what really is going on with her family, she begins to unravel pieces of the story and learn exactly why things are the way they are.
I found myself interested in all of the characters in this book. Cara is the main protagonist but there isn’t anything about her that makes her stand out. With that said, she also doesn’t just hang by the sidelines. As the story progresses, Cara is the one driving it forward but with the help of these people who make up her world…each one playing a very important role in unveiling what is really going on. She has a best friend (Bea), an older sister (Alice), and an ex-stepbrother (Sam) and they are the people she is closest to and I loved seeing the different relationships she had with each separately but also how they were as a group.
There are quite a few twists and turns to this story and a lot of questions to be answered – most of which start with why the accident season happens. It all starts with her digging into a character named Elsie and why she appears to be in all of the pictures Cara takes. Another piece to this story is Cara’s relationship with Sam. I loved seeing how it changed from start to finish and although some may be uncomfortable with the set up, I thought it was done well. It also isn’t the main focus of the book, just a piece of it.
So….there isn’t much else I can say about this book because there are quite a few secrets and twists that if I were to mention them, I would completely ruin the story for you – so you know I won’t do that. What I will say is if you are looking for something a little different from the standard contemporary (or I guess this could fall into the mystery genre) consider checking this one out. Once I picked it up I couldn’t put it down until I learned everything about this cast of characters and I will definitely look forward to more books by this author!
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
As the summary notes, every October Cara and her family become very accident-prone. This year is projected to be particularly bad and as Cara digs into what really is going on with her family, she begins to unravel pieces of the story and learn exactly why things are the way they are.
I found myself interested in all of the characters in this book. Cara is the main protagonist but there isn’t anything about her that makes her stand out. With that said, she also doesn’t just hang by the sidelines. As the story progresses, Cara is the one driving it forward but with the help of these people who make up her world…each one playing a very important role in unveiling what is really going on. She has a best friend (Bea), an older sister (Alice), and an ex-stepbrother (Sam) and they are the people she is closest to and I loved seeing the different relationships she had with each separately but also how they were as a group.
There are quite a few twists and turns to this story and a lot of questions to be answered – most of which start with why the accident season happens. It all starts with her digging into a character named Elsie and why she appears to be in all of the pictures Cara takes. Another piece to this story is Cara’s relationship with Sam. I loved seeing how it changed from start to finish and although some may be uncomfortable with the set up, I thought it was done well. It also isn’t the main focus of the book, just a piece of it.
So….there isn’t much else I can say about this book because there are quite a few secrets and twists that if I were to mention them, I would completely ruin the story for you – so you know I won’t do that. What I will say is if you are looking for something a little different from the standard contemporary (or I guess this could fall into the mystery genre) consider checking this one out. Once I picked it up I couldn’t put it down until I learned everything about this cast of characters and I will definitely look forward to more books by this author!
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
So...I'm going to need a copy of book 3 immediately. For real...hand it over.
To say I was excited when I got a copy of The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson is probably a major understatement. I loved The Kiss of Deception and the minute I finished that book I needed the next book because OH MY GOD!! Anyway, I used almost every ounce of willpower I possess and forced myself to wait until it was closer to the release date to dive into it because I am horrible with series books due to my impatience.
If you haven’t read book one yet…STOP HERE! I am going to do my best not to put any spoilers into this review but if you haven’t even started the series, I can’t promise anything and you really don’t want to know all the things yet.
So this book begins with Lia, Rafe, and Kaden heading into Venda and things are not looking great for Lia. She and Rafe are prisoners of The Komizar and he is always willing to do whatever is necessary to keep his power over the people of Venda. Unfortunately for Lia, she now has a role to play and The Komizar doesn’t care what she wants, only what she can do for him.
The thing I love about Lia is that she is strong and she adapts to her surroundings. We saw it in book one and we see it in this book too. She learns about the people around her and figures out who she can trust. I loved that she was always looking for ways to get around the rules that trap her and she was willing to jump right into any situation with her head held high, no matter what the people around her thought of her. Lia has an open mind and she is smart about the things she does.
Another thing about this book is we get to learn a lot more about Kaden which was great because in book one I didn’t feel like I knew enough about him and his story starts to unfold in this book. Not only are we in his homeland, but we also get to learn about where he comes from and what his relationship is with The Komizar. In addition to that, we get to learn a bit more about where Kaden’s head is at in regards to Lia. He has a plan…not a great plan but a plan none-the-less. Of course, things definitely do not go as he planned and it was interesting to see how his mindset changed over the course of the story.
The Komizar…I don’t really have words for him. All I will say is that you have to experience him as the story unfolds. He’s an interesting character. Notice I say interesting…not good. He is not a good guy and I don’t care what his motives are, he does some shady things and that is all I will say.
Now…let’s talk about Rafe – because, why not!?!? I love him. He is so hopeful that he will be able to prove himself to Lia and no matter the odds, he is optimistic that his men will be able to save them. It made me love him even more than I already did. I admit, most of the parts I tagged in my book were swoony bits between Rafe and Lia. There weren’t a lot, mostly because they had to hide their relationship/feelings, but what I did get made me happy.
I want to mention here that Pearson did a wonderful job of building Venda in the story and I thought her descriptions of the Sanctum added to the feeling that Lia was definitely a prisoner and she and Rafe were truly trapped.
Soooo…All I can say at this point is you DEFINITELY need to read this book when it comes out. So much happens to move the story forward that I am pretty sure I am not doing this story any justice at all and probably just rambling on and on. Similar to my reaction with book one, I am willing to beg and plead to whoever I need to in order to get my hands on book 3. I’m not kidding, that ending…all I can say is:
Thank you to Macmillan for the review copy!
To say I was excited when I got a copy of The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson is probably a major understatement. I loved The Kiss of Deception and the minute I finished that book I needed the next book because OH MY GOD!! Anyway, I used almost every ounce of willpower I possess and forced myself to wait until it was closer to the release date to dive into it because I am horrible with series books due to my impatience.
If you haven’t read book one yet…STOP HERE! I am going to do my best not to put any spoilers into this review but if you haven’t even started the series, I can’t promise anything and you really don’t want to know all the things yet.
So this book begins with Lia, Rafe, and Kaden heading into Venda and things are not looking great for Lia. She and Rafe are prisoners of The Komizar and he is always willing to do whatever is necessary to keep his power over the people of Venda. Unfortunately for Lia, she now has a role to play and The Komizar doesn’t care what she wants, only what she can do for him.
The thing I love about Lia is that she is strong and she adapts to her surroundings. We saw it in book one and we see it in this book too. She learns about the people around her and figures out who she can trust. I loved that she was always looking for ways to get around the rules that trap her and she was willing to jump right into any situation with her head held high, no matter what the people around her thought of her. Lia has an open mind and she is smart about the things she does.
Another thing about this book is we get to learn a lot more about Kaden which was great because in book one I didn’t feel like I knew enough about him and his story starts to unfold in this book. Not only are we in his homeland, but we also get to learn about where he comes from and what his relationship is with The Komizar. In addition to that, we get to learn a bit more about where Kaden’s head is at in regards to Lia. He has a plan…not a great plan but a plan none-the-less. Of course, things definitely do not go as he planned and it was interesting to see how his mindset changed over the course of the story.
The Komizar…I don’t really have words for him. All I will say is that you have to experience him as the story unfolds. He’s an interesting character. Notice I say interesting…not good. He is not a good guy and I don’t care what his motives are, he does some shady things and that is all I will say.
Now…let’s talk about Rafe – because, why not!?!? I love him. He is so hopeful that he will be able to prove himself to Lia and no matter the odds, he is optimistic that his men will be able to save them. It made me love him even more than I already did. I admit, most of the parts I tagged in my book were swoony bits between Rafe and Lia. There weren’t a lot, mostly because they had to hide their relationship/feelings, but what I did get made me happy.
I want to mention here that Pearson did a wonderful job of building Venda in the story and I thought her descriptions of the Sanctum added to the feeling that Lia was definitely a prisoner and she and Rafe were truly trapped.
Soooo…All I can say at this point is you DEFINITELY need to read this book when it comes out. So much happens to move the story forward that I am pretty sure I am not doing this story any justice at all and probably just rambling on and on. Similar to my reaction with book one, I am willing to beg and plead to whoever I need to in order to get my hands on book 3. I’m not kidding, that ending…all I can say is:
Thank you to Macmillan for the review copy!