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erinarkin20
The Lyre Thief by Jennifer Fallon is the first book in the Hythrun Chronicles series and once I started this book, I had a tough time putting it down. Fallon created a story that took me on a journey right along with her characters and once I hit the last page, I wanted the next book so I could see what happens next.
The world that Fallon has developed here is built around her characters and she did a wonderful job of exposing the different customs and beliefs along the way. What I didn’t get was a solid understanding of the world these characters lived in but in the end, I don’t think it hurt the story at all. Each chapter is from another character’s point of view and as the story moves forward, it all ultimately ties together and I have to say, Fallon did a great job of creating a story that not only provides the reader with the whole picture but the way she brought all the different pieces together was great.
The main story is that of Rakaia, the daughter of the King of Fardohnya. She has been betrothed to a King in Hyrthria as part of a treaty and because there are secrets her mother has been keeping, she will do whatever she can to get away from the harem quickly. As she and her sister (base born so not acknowledged as royalty) Charisee make their voyage, Rakaia puts Charisee in a position that she has no way out of.
As Rakaia and Cherisee ultimately end up on separate paths, their stories are destined to intersect again and I loved how it happened. In the end, while Rakaia has done something fairly selfish, she wasn’t just thinking of herself. She wanted more for Cherisee and thought they could both get something out of the arrangement. Granted, she went about it in a way that wasn’t fair to Cherisee but I can see where she was coming from.
One of the other pieces of the story I enjoyed was the way the Gods were integrated into it. Everyone worships a God and when Cherisee came face to face with Jakerlon (the God of Liars) I loved how he not only explained everything to her but also got Cherisee to realize it is in her best interest to embrace her situation and make the best of it.
One of the pieces of the story that was left fairly open ended was what was going to happen with R’shiel. As the Demon Child, she is different from everyone else but she has been on a mission for a while now to find the man she loves. The only thing she knows is that Death has him and she is willing to do whatever it takes to get to Brak and potentially bring him back…no matter what the price.
As I mentioned, all of the characters in this story are linked and eventually their stories become intertwined. I’ve only mentioned a few here but there are probably 10 different character’s points of view that are covered and despite that, the story doesn’t get confusing. I admit that there were some definite aha moments as things started to come together and in the end, I really enjoyed this book. If you are looking for a solid fantasy that happens to be a very character driven story, consider checking this book out. I am looking forward to the next book in this series and will definitely be checking out the other books that Fallon has written as they all appear to link back to this series and will perhaps fill in the blanks on some of the questions I have.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
The world that Fallon has developed here is built around her characters and she did a wonderful job of exposing the different customs and beliefs along the way. What I didn’t get was a solid understanding of the world these characters lived in but in the end, I don’t think it hurt the story at all. Each chapter is from another character’s point of view and as the story moves forward, it all ultimately ties together and I have to say, Fallon did a great job of creating a story that not only provides the reader with the whole picture but the way she brought all the different pieces together was great.
The main story is that of Rakaia, the daughter of the King of Fardohnya. She has been betrothed to a King in Hyrthria as part of a treaty and because there are secrets her mother has been keeping, she will do whatever she can to get away from the harem quickly. As she and her sister (base born so not acknowledged as royalty) Charisee make their voyage, Rakaia puts Charisee in a position that she has no way out of.
As Rakaia and Cherisee ultimately end up on separate paths, their stories are destined to intersect again and I loved how it happened. In the end, while Rakaia has done something fairly selfish, she wasn’t just thinking of herself. She wanted more for Cherisee and thought they could both get something out of the arrangement. Granted, she went about it in a way that wasn’t fair to Cherisee but I can see where she was coming from.
One of the other pieces of the story I enjoyed was the way the Gods were integrated into it. Everyone worships a God and when Cherisee came face to face with Jakerlon (the God of Liars) I loved how he not only explained everything to her but also got Cherisee to realize it is in her best interest to embrace her situation and make the best of it.
One of the pieces of the story that was left fairly open ended was what was going to happen with R’shiel. As the Demon Child, she is different from everyone else but she has been on a mission for a while now to find the man she loves. The only thing she knows is that Death has him and she is willing to do whatever it takes to get to Brak and potentially bring him back…no matter what the price.
As I mentioned, all of the characters in this story are linked and eventually their stories become intertwined. I’ve only mentioned a few here but there are probably 10 different character’s points of view that are covered and despite that, the story doesn’t get confusing. I admit that there were some definite aha moments as things started to come together and in the end, I really enjoyed this book. If you are looking for a solid fantasy that happens to be a very character driven story, consider checking this book out. I am looking forward to the next book in this series and will definitely be checking out the other books that Fallon has written as they all appear to link back to this series and will perhaps fill in the blanks on some of the questions I have.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
When I received Map of Fates by Maggie Hall I immediately realized I still needed to read The Conspiracy of Us and it was for no other reason than the fact that I just hadn’t gotten to it. I honestly have no idea why I waited so long to start this series as it has non-stop action and intrigue…all stuff I love.
Map of Fates picks up where The Conspiracy of Us left off. Avery has figured out what she is supposed to be destined for and how she fits into the Circle but she isn’t prepared to just do whatever her family wants her to. I loved that at this point she is still growing into her new role and we get to see her change over the course of this book (even more so than she did in book one). As she learns who she can trust and who she can’t she isn’t someone who will just take things at face value by the end of this book and unfortunately it is because she has been burned over and over by these people.
As Avery jumps around the world with Jack, Stellan, and the rest of the crew, she is looking to solve the bigger mystery not only to save her mother but to also protect herself. What I loved about what Hall did with this book was that she took us around the world right with Avery. We got to run through museums and hang out on a boat in Cannes right alongside her. I thought Hall did a fantastic job of creating the environment around her so that it felt like I was there too.
I admit, I am officially in the Jack camp and I was absolutely waiting for the shoe to drop throughout this entire book. There is no question here that Avery has feelings for both guys (at least no question to me) and it was pretty obvious that things were not going to be as easy for Avery in the relationship department as I was hoping.
Regarding secondary characters – I thought bringing Avery’s family into the mix the way she did was great. I know that is vague…sorry, not sorry. I don’t want to give anything away around the “family” dynamics here. Just know that while Avery is traveling around to meet all these Circle heirs, she is not out of danger.
This was a great book two and the story definitely moved forward. It was great to dive into this series and read books one and two back to back because I rarely get the opportunity to read series books back to back. It was a nice change of pace to not have to wait for the next book but now…I have to wait for book three. Oh well – I can have a bit of patience.
If you are looking for a book that will take you on a wild ride and have you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out what is going to happen next, definitely consider checking this one out. I enjoyed it (both books actually) and am definitely looking forward to the next book.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
Map of Fates picks up where The Conspiracy of Us left off. Avery has figured out what she is supposed to be destined for and how she fits into the Circle but she isn’t prepared to just do whatever her family wants her to. I loved that at this point she is still growing into her new role and we get to see her change over the course of this book (even more so than she did in book one). As she learns who she can trust and who she can’t she isn’t someone who will just take things at face value by the end of this book and unfortunately it is because she has been burned over and over by these people.
As Avery jumps around the world with Jack, Stellan, and the rest of the crew, she is looking to solve the bigger mystery not only to save her mother but to also protect herself. What I loved about what Hall did with this book was that she took us around the world right with Avery. We got to run through museums and hang out on a boat in Cannes right alongside her. I thought Hall did a fantastic job of creating the environment around her so that it felt like I was there too.
I admit, I am officially in the Jack camp and I was absolutely waiting for the shoe to drop throughout this entire book. There is no question here that Avery has feelings for both guys (at least no question to me) and it was pretty obvious that things were not going to be as easy for Avery in the relationship department as I was hoping.
Regarding secondary characters – I thought bringing Avery’s family into the mix the way she did was great. I know that is vague…sorry, not sorry. I don’t want to give anything away around the “family” dynamics here. Just know that while Avery is traveling around to meet all these Circle heirs, she is not out of danger.
This was a great book two and the story definitely moved forward. It was great to dive into this series and read books one and two back to back because I rarely get the opportunity to read series books back to back. It was a nice change of pace to not have to wait for the next book but now…I have to wait for book three. Oh well – I can have a bit of patience.
If you are looking for a book that will take you on a wild ride and have you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out what is going to happen next, definitely consider checking this one out. I enjoyed it (both books actually) and am definitely looking forward to the next book.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
Intisar Khanani has been on my to read list since I read her book Thorn so when I received a newsletter telling me the second book of a new series she was writing was coming out soon I immediately went to my list to see where I could get book one. This leads me to telling you all about Sunbolt.
Hitomi is the main character of this story and I really liked her. She is smart and cunning and most of all, she will do whatever is necessary to protect those she cares about or who are less fortunate than her. As an orphan, she hasn’t had an easy life and being a foreigner in a land where those with magic aren’t necessarily welcome, she has had to make her own way. Now, as a member of the Shadow League, she and the group are out to stop the corruption led by dangerous Arch Mage called Blackflame.
The development of the world and atmosphere in this story is done well. There are so many different pieces to this story and magic is the thing that sits right at the center of the story. Hitomi’s parents were mages but they hid the fact that she was able to do magic (referred to as a Promise) and when she lost them, she wasn’t trained…or at least trained fully. Now she has some ability but isn’t fully able to control it for long periods of time. In conjunction with magic, Khanani has developed this world where it is normal to cross paths with vampires, breathers (someone who can steal your breath), and a number of other paranormal beings.
Outside of Hitomi, I thought the other characters in this story were well developed too and they all added something interesting to the story. Blackflame is the bad guy (although he isn’t the only bad guy) and I am curious to learn more about his link to Hitomi’s family. Ghost, the leader of the Shadow League, is an interesting character but I admit I didn’t feel like we got to learn enough about him. I want to know more and I hope that in one of the next books we get to know him better.
As the story progresses, Hitomi crosses paths with Val and here is where things start to become even more interesting. I loved seeing the partnership between these two characters develop. Their friendship isn’t one that is destined to work out due to the fact that Val is a breather and Hitomi is a Promise but regardless, for the situation they are in, they make things work and do whatever is necessary to keep each other alive. I loved the whole dynamic between them and hope we get more at some point in the future.
While this story is short in length, it doesn’t lack any of the things I look for in a great story. There is wonderful character development, an interesting story that has quite bit of action. If you are looking for a quick read that will keep you engaged and turning the pages, definitely consider checking Sunbolt out. I am glad I found it and will be waiting patiently (…of course) to get my hands on the next book!
Thank you to the author for a copy in exchange for an honest review!
Hitomi is the main character of this story and I really liked her. She is smart and cunning and most of all, she will do whatever is necessary to protect those she cares about or who are less fortunate than her. As an orphan, she hasn’t had an easy life and being a foreigner in a land where those with magic aren’t necessarily welcome, she has had to make her own way. Now, as a member of the Shadow League, she and the group are out to stop the corruption led by dangerous Arch Mage called Blackflame.
The development of the world and atmosphere in this story is done well. There are so many different pieces to this story and magic is the thing that sits right at the center of the story. Hitomi’s parents were mages but they hid the fact that she was able to do magic (referred to as a Promise) and when she lost them, she wasn’t trained…or at least trained fully. Now she has some ability but isn’t fully able to control it for long periods of time. In conjunction with magic, Khanani has developed this world where it is normal to cross paths with vampires, breathers (someone who can steal your breath), and a number of other paranormal beings.
Outside of Hitomi, I thought the other characters in this story were well developed too and they all added something interesting to the story. Blackflame is the bad guy (although he isn’t the only bad guy) and I am curious to learn more about his link to Hitomi’s family. Ghost, the leader of the Shadow League, is an interesting character but I admit I didn’t feel like we got to learn enough about him. I want to know more and I hope that in one of the next books we get to know him better.
As the story progresses, Hitomi crosses paths with Val and here is where things start to become even more interesting. I loved seeing the partnership between these two characters develop. Their friendship isn’t one that is destined to work out due to the fact that Val is a breather and Hitomi is a Promise but regardless, for the situation they are in, they make things work and do whatever is necessary to keep each other alive. I loved the whole dynamic between them and hope we get more at some point in the future.
While this story is short in length, it doesn’t lack any of the things I look for in a great story. There is wonderful character development, an interesting story that has quite bit of action. If you are looking for a quick read that will keep you engaged and turning the pages, definitely consider checking Sunbolt out. I am glad I found it and will be waiting patiently (…of course) to get my hands on the next book!
Thank you to the author for a copy in exchange for an honest review!
Hooooly crap...that was so good.
You guys…I’m saying right now – In my opinion Marie Lu can do no wrong. I mean I should have known that The Young Elites series would be another favorite because of my love for the Legend series. At this point Marie Lu could write out her grocery shopping list and I would read it. Because I don’t want to ruin this for anyone I am going to do what I can to keep this review spoiler free…don’t hate me if something comes across as super vague.
The Rose Society picks up shortly after The Young Elites ended and we are pulled back into Adelina’s story pretty quickly. After being told by Raffaele and the Daggers that she couldn’t be one of them, Adelina and Violetta make the decision to find the notorious Magiano and convince him to help them get revenge against the Inquisition. Once they find him, he challenges Adelina to prove she is worthy of his support and if she can beat him at his own game, she will have him on her side.
Magiano turned out to be one of my favorite characters. He is a perfect balance of trickster and serious guy. He definitely has his quirks and his love of money is one of the things that Adelina tends to hold over him but I thought he was a great counterpart to Adelina. He pushes her to see that there is more to her than her markings and that she can be whatever she wants to be. I loved that about him but I also loved that he supported her even if he didn’t fully agree with what she was doing/did.
As Adelina learns more about what the Daggers are doing with Maeve, the Beldish queen, she begins to realize she needs to do something – and man, does she ever. Adelina continues to struggle with her powers and the fact that she feeds off of the fear of others only creates a challenge for her to keep herself in check. Add to that her alignment with ambition and things definitely take a turn when she realizes that with her army, she can take the crown from Giuliana.
I know Adelina is not the hero but that doesn’t make her unlikable – at least to me. I was actually rooting for her the entire time and I think it is because she really does struggle with who she is and her reactions. She never really sets out to do the bad things but because they happen and she doesn’t necessarily try to stop them, she is pushed into this role of the “bad” one. Even after everything that happened in this book, I still like her. When things go down with the Daggers, things definitely turn for Adelina and she separates herself even more from those around her.
Just a few other character notes - Teren is still Teren and he finally gets knocked down a bit which was great. I wish the Daggers had approached Adelina a bit differently. I am convinced that things could have gone differently for all of them had Raffaele and the group not cut Adelina off completely. It will be interesting to see what the Daggers and the Beldish queen, Maeve do next.
Lu does a fantastic job of continuing to build out the world that these characters live in and she also balances this with a lot of action. From the moment that first page was turned, I found myself unable to put the book down and I admit, the run ins between Adelina and the Daggers were some of the more intense moments of the book.
If you haven’t started this series…get moving on that. I can’t wait to see what Lu does with these characters and the rest of the story. You will notice that I didn’t say anything about what really happens and that is because I really can’t. So much happens in this book that if I were to mention anything else, I might give something away and I can’t do that to anyone. Just know that you should read this book as soon as you possibly can and then find me so we can talk all about it. Now…don’t mind me while I sit over here and patiently wait for the next book.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
You guys…I’m saying right now – In my opinion Marie Lu can do no wrong. I mean I should have known that The Young Elites series would be another favorite because of my love for the Legend series. At this point Marie Lu could write out her grocery shopping list and I would read it. Because I don’t want to ruin this for anyone I am going to do what I can to keep this review spoiler free…don’t hate me if something comes across as super vague.
The Rose Society picks up shortly after The Young Elites ended and we are pulled back into Adelina’s story pretty quickly. After being told by Raffaele and the Daggers that she couldn’t be one of them, Adelina and Violetta make the decision to find the notorious Magiano and convince him to help them get revenge against the Inquisition. Once they find him, he challenges Adelina to prove she is worthy of his support and if she can beat him at his own game, she will have him on her side.
Magiano turned out to be one of my favorite characters. He is a perfect balance of trickster and serious guy. He definitely has his quirks and his love of money is one of the things that Adelina tends to hold over him but I thought he was a great counterpart to Adelina. He pushes her to see that there is more to her than her markings and that she can be whatever she wants to be. I loved that about him but I also loved that he supported her even if he didn’t fully agree with what she was doing/did.
As Adelina learns more about what the Daggers are doing with Maeve, the Beldish queen, she begins to realize she needs to do something – and man, does she ever. Adelina continues to struggle with her powers and the fact that she feeds off of the fear of others only creates a challenge for her to keep herself in check. Add to that her alignment with ambition and things definitely take a turn when she realizes that with her army, she can take the crown from Giuliana.
I know Adelina is not the hero but that doesn’t make her unlikable – at least to me. I was actually rooting for her the entire time and I think it is because she really does struggle with who she is and her reactions. She never really sets out to do the bad things but because they happen and she doesn’t necessarily try to stop them, she is pushed into this role of the “bad” one. Even after everything that happened in this book, I still like her. When things go down with the Daggers, things definitely turn for Adelina and she separates herself even more from those around her.
Just a few other character notes - Teren is still Teren and he finally gets knocked down a bit which was great. I wish the Daggers had approached Adelina a bit differently. I am convinced that things could have gone differently for all of them had Raffaele and the group not cut Adelina off completely. It will be interesting to see what the Daggers and the Beldish queen, Maeve do next.
Lu does a fantastic job of continuing to build out the world that these characters live in and she also balances this with a lot of action. From the moment that first page was turned, I found myself unable to put the book down and I admit, the run ins between Adelina and the Daggers were some of the more intense moments of the book.
If you haven’t started this series…get moving on that. I can’t wait to see what Lu does with these characters and the rest of the story. You will notice that I didn’t say anything about what really happens and that is because I really can’t. So much happens in this book that if I were to mention anything else, I might give something away and I can’t do that to anyone. Just know that you should read this book as soon as you possibly can and then find me so we can talk all about it. Now…don’t mind me while I sit over here and patiently wait for the next book.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
Released by Jus Accardo is the third book in The Eternal Balance series. I was really looking forward to the wrap up of this one based on how Accardo ended book two. If you haven’t read books one or two yet you might want to hold off on reading this review. I always do what I can not to give anything away but seeing as how this is a book three, I can’t promise I won’t give anything from books one and two away. You have officially been warned.
Released picks up shortly after Embraced ended. If you recall, Jax has officially been taken over by Azirak after he killed Az’s mate and now he has no control over what happens. While Az is running the show, Jax can still see and hear everything and it is very tough on him. I loved how Accardo was able to write this one character as two different people. Ultimately they both are willing to do whatever is necessary to protect Sam and I found that to be the thing that made me like both of them so much.
As the battle between good and evil continues, Sam is stuck right in the middle along with Az/Jax and she is doing her best to stay alive as well as find a way to save Jax from whatever fate has in store for him. As the story progresses, we learn more about what normally happens when demons take over a body and things don’t look especially good for Jax. I admit it, I started to enjoy the interactions both Sam and Jax had with Az. I also admit, I loved the part where Jax finally does come through for a decent length of time. There was quite a bit of ust through the series for these characters so when they finally do get an opportunity to be together, I can’t fault them for diving right in. It was also pretty hot.
As per usual with Accardo’s books, this story has a great mix of solid characters, great action, and an intriguing story. I thought Accardo did a fantastic job of bringing the whole story together and tying up the entire series. I look forward to more from her and recommend her books to anyone looking for a new paranormal series to read.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy!
Released picks up shortly after Embraced ended. If you recall, Jax has officially been taken over by Azirak after he killed Az’s mate and now he has no control over what happens. While Az is running the show, Jax can still see and hear everything and it is very tough on him. I loved how Accardo was able to write this one character as two different people. Ultimately they both are willing to do whatever is necessary to protect Sam and I found that to be the thing that made me like both of them so much.
As the battle between good and evil continues, Sam is stuck right in the middle along with Az/Jax and she is doing her best to stay alive as well as find a way to save Jax from whatever fate has in store for him. As the story progresses, we learn more about what normally happens when demons take over a body and things don’t look especially good for Jax. I admit it, I started to enjoy the interactions both Sam and Jax had with Az. I also admit, I loved the part where Jax finally does come through for a decent length of time. There was quite a bit of ust through the series for these characters so when they finally do get an opportunity to be together, I can’t fault them for diving right in. It was also pretty hot.
As per usual with Accardo’s books, this story has a great mix of solid characters, great action, and an intriguing story. I thought Accardo did a fantastic job of bringing the whole story together and tying up the entire series. I look forward to more from her and recommend her books to anyone looking for a new paranormal series to read.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy!
Resist by Missy Johnson was a book I came across while I was scanning NetGalley. I appreciate a good adult book and this one sounded intriguing. Unfortunately it fell a bit short for me.
I think the biggest challenge for me was the characters. Not a single one in this book had me rooting for them. Charlotte was willing to do anything to get the career she felt she deserved and I just found her to be annoying. Jaxon definitely had something horrible happen to him but outside of that situation, he made it very difficult for me to feel anything for him. I mean…girls living in his house for him to use for whatever he wants??
Outside of the characters, the story is set up to have us find out what is really going on right along with Charlotte. She has inserted herself into a world and situation where she really has no experience so she is just doing whatever she can to stay on Jaxon’s good side. As she is yanked into his world, I found it interesting to see what she was willing to do. With that in mind, there were some things that just didn’t make sense to me. Yes, Jax had all these other women in the house and we really only see one of them in the beginning but I don’t buy that Charlotte was just so captivating that he completely gave up his other needs…considering what we saw of him in the beginning.
Overall this one was just ok for me. The overall mystery and ultimately the end of the book were wrapped up in a way that felt a bit rushed and in the end, the fact that the characters didn’t win me over made it so that I didn’t really have any investment in whether they were able to make it work or not.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.
I think the biggest challenge for me was the characters. Not a single one in this book had me rooting for them. Charlotte was willing to do anything to get the career she felt she deserved and I just found her to be annoying. Jaxon definitely had something horrible happen to him but outside of that situation, he made it very difficult for me to feel anything for him. I mean…girls living in his house for him to use for whatever he wants??
Outside of the characters, the story is set up to have us find out what is really going on right along with Charlotte. She has inserted herself into a world and situation where she really has no experience so she is just doing whatever she can to stay on Jaxon’s good side. As she is yanked into his world, I found it interesting to see what she was willing to do. With that in mind, there were some things that just didn’t make sense to me. Yes, Jax had all these other women in the house and we really only see one of them in the beginning but I don’t buy that Charlotte was just so captivating that he completely gave up his other needs…considering what we saw of him in the beginning.
Overall this one was just ok for me. The overall mystery and ultimately the end of the book were wrapped up in a way that felt a bit rushed and in the end, the fact that the characters didn’t win me over made it so that I didn’t really have any investment in whether they were able to make it work or not.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.