RoseBlood by A.G. Howard had me from the moment I read the summary. I LOVE The Phantom of the Opera story and I enjoyed how Howard put a twist on the original story.

Rune is seventeen and after doing something she isn’t proud of, she is on her way to Roseblood, a conservatory in France, to help her with her problem. See, Rune is an amazing singer but ever since her father passed away, she has had a difficult time controlling herself and the impulse to sing certain music. Roseblood isn’t just a conservatory though, it is an opera house that has ties to The Phantom of the Opera and that means something to Rune.

I liked Rune. She clearly doesn’t want to be headed to Roseblood but her mom hasn’t really given her a choice. Immediately Rune sees there is something different about Roseblood and in her exploration, she befriends Thorn, a masked man who helps her with her musical issues. Rune is drawn to Thorn but she knows there is something going on with him and he definitely has a secret.

Thorn is an interesting character. He absolutely struggles with the commitment he made because of the feelings he has for Rune. I actually really liked how his story was developed and revealed. I can’t say a lot about it because I don’t want to give anything away but Thorn’s background helped to reveal a bit about Rune and her heritage. As Thorn comes to realize what is important to him and what he wants his future to be, he also realizes what he needs to do.

The group of friends that Rune makes when she gets to Roseblood are an interesting mix. I’m still not sure how I really feel about them, mostly Sunny. The problem I had with her is that she really didn’t have any boundaries and did whatever she wanted. Nevertheless, they all helped to move the story forward.

There is a bit of a paranormal twist to this story that I wasn’t really expecting and I didn’t mind it. I thought it added something to the story that otherwise may have been a bit flat. This story has a slower pace and there were times that I felt like I had to push through. I am happy I did because in the end, I did enjoy the story that Howard told.

Overall I thought this was an interesting read. There were some things I liked and other things that I wasn’t completely sure about but in the end this was a story that kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next for the characters. If you have an interest in retellings, enjoy a bit of romance, and appreciate a bit of deception and mystery within your books, consider checking this one out.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy.

You Don’t Know my Name by Kristen Orlando was a book I just happened to come across and I love spy thrillers. Of course, add in a teen as the main character and I’m in!

Seventeen year old Reagan Hillis is used to secrets and living a lie. Her parents are part o f a top secret agency called the Black Angels and she is following in their footsteps. Because of their work, Reagan has had to change her name, move with no notice, and lie to every friend she has ever made. When a threat gets too close to home for the Hillis family, Reagan has to decide what she really wants to do with her life and what is important to her.

I liked Reagan – she’s smart and she’s tough. Things have not been easy for her with the work her parents do and while she has always thought she wanted to be part of the Black Angels, she is now having doubts. She is sick of having to give up her friends and this time around that includes the boy next door, Luke. Add to all of that, the fact that her parents are keeping secrets from her and she isn’t super excited to lose everything again.

As Reagan tries to figure out what she wants to do, she is pulled into a situation where she is in danger because of something her parents did on a mission. When a man named Torres comes after them all, they are all forced to do things they never expected.

The pacing of the story is perfect and there is plenty of action that kept me turning the pages. This was a pretty quick read and you do have to suspend reality a bit throughout because a seventeen year old who is trained and able to do the things Reagan is able to do is somewhat unbelievable but heck…that’s one of the reasons we read books, right?

The other characters in the book do help to move the story along. The adults of the story were obviously doing what they thought best and whatever they thought they needed to do to protect Reagan. The problem was that they expected Reagan to act like an adult and accept their decisions but they wouldn’t tell her anything. Because of that, she ended up doing what she thought was the right thing.

Of course, the friendship and relationship that Reagan had with Luke was great. Luke wasn’t going to just give up on Reagan, no matter what she did or what was going on with her family. I love that he stuck with her and even stood up to Sam and the Black Angel agents when he felt it was important.

I can’t say much more about the actual story because I don’t want to give anything away. What I will say is that the character development and the relationships that are built were well done. Reagan has had to grow up quickly and she doesn’t really catch a break at all and while there were times I felt bad for her, I also saw her strength and it made me like her even more. If you are looking for a fast paced story with solid, well developed characters, definitely consider checking this book out. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series when it comes out as I’m excited to see where Orlando takes Reagan next.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!

The Last Harvest by Kim Liggett is described as Friday Night Lights meets Rosemary’s Baby and because of that, I was immediately intrigued. After reading, I have to say it leans more toward Rosemary’s Baby and the only tie to Friday Night Lights I could see was that the main character was at one time the popular quarterback. Even with that in mind the story that Liggett created was an interesting one.

Clay is the main character and he has been dealing with a lot since his father died a year ago. He is the oldest and that means he is the one who has taken on the responsibility of keeping things going since his mom hasn’t been the same ever since. Clay has two younger sisters, Jess and Noodle, and he is doing everything he can to keep his family together (including harvesting the wheat before the first freeze) and providing them with the things they need but with the anniversary of his father’s death, things are getting weird and he doesn’t know who to trust.

Clay’s family was one of the founding families of Midland, Oklahoma and along with 5 other families in town, they make up a group called the Preservation Society. The group is most recently led by a group of people that Clay goes to school with, including Ali, the girl he has had feelings for. Clay has done his best to avoid the group and the founding families but something happens one day while he is out on the combine that he can’t explain and he ends up drawn to the Neely farm where he sees something even more disturbing.

Liggett does a fantastic job of setting up this story and the setting is perfect. First, the small town setting is perfect for this story because it creates a weird vibe. Not only is Clay going through a major life event over the last year but he saw something with his dad that day that he doesn’t really understand. As the story moves forward, pieces are revealed that start to tie what happened with his dad to the things that Clay is facing today. There were some parts that were especially creepy and I appreciated how Liggett was able to set them up.

The characters in this story were quite interesting and definitely creepy. Of course, there is Clay and at times he seems completely clueless but I sympathize as it was really hard to figure out who to trust in this book. Just when he started to think someone would be able to help him out, something would happen that had me wondering whose side they were really on. I loved how much he cared about his family though and how willing he was to do whatever he could for them.

The characters that make up the society and go to school with Clay were mostly there to tie Clay to the group and the rest of the story. Ali and Tyler were the most prominent of the group. Tyler was Clay’s rival and when Clay stepped back from football and the group, he is the one who stepped in to fill the void…which included Ali. Clearly they didn’t get along.

Ali was interesting because she definitely had feelings for Clay but because of the society, she wasn’t allowed to talk to him or be around him as long as he kept his distance. When things turn around for them, they both admit their feelings and this eventually leads to the rest of the story. I have to admit, I didn’t fully see what was going to happen so kudos to Liggett for the successful twist.

Overall I enjoyed this book. Liggett does a fantastic job of setting up the reader to try to figure things out right alongside Clay from the very first page and I appreciated that what was really going on wasn’t completely transparent. If you are looking for something that has that creepy horror movie vibe and will keep you guessing on what will really happen, consider checking this one out. I will definitely be looking forward to whatever Liggett decides to share with us next.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy.

Loved this...full review to come.

The Cursed Queen is book two in The Impostor Queen series by Sarah Fine and if you haven’t read that book yet, what are you waiting for? I really enjoyed book one so of course, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on book two. But…I was a bit confused. The Cursed Queen is listed as a companion and I wasn’t prepared to get a completely different side of the story but now that I finished I understand why Fine wrote the books the way she did and I honestly can’t wait to see how book three goes!

The Cursed Queen introduces us to Ansa as the main character and the Krigere tribe. Ansa’s village was invaded by the Krigere when she was young and she was taken as a raid prize. As she grew up within the tribe, she fought to be considered one of them even though they were the ones who murdered her family. If there was one thing that stood out most to me about Ansa, it was her desire to belong. She wanted to be a part of something and she actually blamed her parents for not being strong enough to survive the attack which I found interesting. Ansa’s biggest desire was to be a warrior and to be by Thyra’s, the daughter of the Chieftain, side no matter what.

The event that changes everything for everyone in the tribe is the Krigere’s invasion of Kupari. The Krigere are known for taking anything they want and the Chieftain’s plan is to invade Kupari and make it his. Unfortunately for everyone, the witch queen of Kupari has other plans for them. As she decimates almost their entire population of warriors, Ansa makes a last ditch effort to kill the witch queen and surprisingly, she survives but she has been cursed with fire and ice.

With the majority of their warriors gone and the chieftain dead, Thyra has to figure out what to do. As a warrior she knows how to fight but she also has this weird notion that they don’t always have to be taking and this makes some of the warriors think she isn’t a strong leader. Immediately, Thyra is challenged to earn the respect of the remainder of her tribe and Ansa is right there by her side to fight with her, despite the issues she is having with the curse.

In addition to all of those things going on, we find out the tribe is in even more danger Thyra’s traitorous uncle, Nisse, finds out that Lars is dead, he sends his son and a small army to bring them to him in a town he invaded and has been living in for the last year. There is definitely some bad blood between Thyra, Nisse, and Jasper (son/cousin) because of what happened to get them expelled from the tribe. As Ansa tries to not only control the curse, but figure out where her place is, she is pushed to make decisions that she isn’t prepared to make. That was one of the most frustrating things about her character. She wanted to belong so much, she was afraid to make the wrong choice – or to quote Sander – “jump”.

Fine did a fantastic job of building out the world these characters live in. Whether they are fighting for their lives in the water, trekking across the land to get to an invaded town, or surviving in a town that doesn’t belong to them, I was able to picture everything clearly. All of the characters were well developed and the secondary characters really helped push the story along. There are quite a few and I can’t name them all but Sander, Halina, Jasper, and Sig all stood out for me.

As I mentioned, this book is listed as a companion to the Impostor Queen and there were times where I was trying to figure out the correlation…outside of the invasion. But Fine ties I all together toward the end when we learn more about who Ansa really is and the curse she has. I was happy to see that when she thought about what Sig was trying to tell her, she was able to control herself and protect those important to her vs. just letting the curse take over. I do admit, there were times where I found myself flipping back to my copy of book one just so I could tie the stories together and I kind of wished I had done a reread of The Impostor Queen before I read this one just so it was all fresh in my mind as there are references to the Valtia and Kupari…things I wanted to remember.

With all of that said, I like how Fine set these stories up as separate books instead of alternating chapters in one or two books. Like I said, at first I was sad I wouldn’t get more of Elli’s story in this one but now that I see how Ansa’s and Elli’s stories will intersect I can’t even wait to get my hands on book three! If you haven’t started this series yet, you should totally fix that. If you are looking for something that has magic, friendship, danger, and deception…this is the book for you. Check it out when you can!

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy.

Ever the Hunted by Erin Summerill has been on my To Read list since the moment I read the summary. Needless to say, once I started this book, I found I didn’t want to put it down!

The story begins with Britta. Because of her parent’s lineage, she is somewhat of an outcast in her village. While her father was Malam and accepted, her mother was from Shaerdan and because the border was closed and the people of Malam have a fear of the Channeler magic the people of Shaerdan have, Britta isn’t welcomed by many in her village.

There are one or two people she was able to depend on or work with to get what she needed but the one person she would have trusted her life to, Cohen, has left without a word and ever since her father was killed, she is in even worse shape. The first time we get to meet her is after the 2 months of isolation due to mourning tradition. As a child she learned everything she could from her father and it is her skill for tracking/hunting that helps her kill an elk which saves her from starvation but it also is against the law for her to hunt on the King’s lands so when she is caught she is taken to the dungeon.

When she is finally brought out of the dungeon she is taken to Lord Jamis, the military advisor and royal spokesman. It is this meeting that ultimately changes the path that Britta is on. One thing to mention is that Britta has always had a sense that she could tell when people were lying to her or telling her the truth so when what she finds out during the meeting rings true, Britta doesn’t know what to think. During the meeting, Lord Jamis shows her a cloak and dagger telling her that both items were found with her father. Both of the items belong to Cohen MacKay…her father’s apprentice and the boy Britta loved and trusted. In exchange for her willingness to hunt Cohen down, Lord Jamis is willing to overlook the poaching charge and with that, she heads out with three of the King’s Guard to hunt Cohen.

When Britta hits the road, she has to work out what is really going on. She knows and loves Cohen but how can she deny the truth of what Jamis told her and where has Cohen been all this time? When she finally does come face to face with Cohen she is definitely not happy with him.

Let’s talk characters for a moment. The thing I like about Britta is she is determined. No matter what, she will fight to the end to do what she wants/needs to. I think this is the only reason she survived the 2 months of isolation – she was determined to survive and find out what happened to her father and even the fact that she didn’t have any food wasn’t going to stop her from getting out of her cottage. Cohen is interesting. There were so many times that I loved him but there were also times where he just wouldn’t listen and did what he thought was right…instead of having a conversation with Britta. I think they could have worked together more through the course of the story if they only would have talked more about things. Instead he kept things from her and was all wishy washy with his feelings – there were so many times I wanted to shake him…but then he would call her “little dove” and the swoons would be there again.

The secondary characters were interesting. The guards that Britta was traveling with played a fairly large role in the whole story and one of my favorites was Leif. I wanted to know more about him but in the end, he was someone who could be counted on. There are a number of other characters that could be mentioned here but I don’t want to ruin anything of the story. Just know that they all help to move the story forward.

I thought the world building was done well in this story. Summerill explains the backstory between Malam and Shaerdan as well as develops the story around the forest and villages the characters visit. Of course the magic is a key part of this world. Channeler magic isn’t accepted in Malam and as we find out more about Britta and the things she is able to do, it is clear that the magic is an integral part of who she is and who she will become. She will definitely need the support of those around her and although not everyone makes it out of this book unscathed, the right people are there for her.

Sorry folks…I can’t say much more about the story for fear of giving something away. Just know that if you like stories with magic, deception, swoons and interesting characters, you will enjoy this book. Based on the ending of book one, you can bet that book two is on my ARC wish list and I will be patiently waiting for a copy to find its way to me. Go get this one when you can!

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy.

Poisoned Blade is book two of the Court of Fives series by Kate Elliott and I admit, I was super excited when I got my hands on a copy of this at ALA this year. When I finished book one, I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen with Jes and Kal. If you haven’t read Court of Fives, you might want to hold on reading this review. While I will do my best not to spoil anything with Poisoned Blade, I can’t promise the same for the first book.

Poisoned Blade picks up immediately after the end of Court of Fives. If you recall, Jes won the race and now Kal is required to head to the war. In usual Jes fashion, the first thing she does after running the Fives is to sneak into the palace to find Kal and explain. The key to this is that there never was a good choice for Jes as she was being forced to choose between the boy she loves and her family that she loves. Of course, Kal makes some good points but I’m not sure I would have chosen any differently than Jes did and as someone who is royalty, he doesn’t necessarily understand where Jes is coming from. All of that said, I admit to being worried that this entire book would be without Kal…please know that this is not the case.

As the story moves forward, the Fives become Jes’ way of keeping her family safe. She knows that she has to stay at the top for crowd favor but she is up against some really skilled competitors she won’t always win against so she spends a lot of time working the crowd so she will stand out and gain their favor. Eventually, it is decided that Jes and some of her fellow competitors will join Gargaron for a tour of the countryside and this is when the action really begins to pick up.

While touring, their party is attacked and Jes becomes more than a Fives runner. She is able to take the skills she has from the Fives and use them not only to survive, but to fight to protect the people she cares about. Diving right into danger, Jes uses her brain to survive and eventually meets up with a larger force and while the politics and intrigue still continue, I loved that this part of the story involved more than just the Fives tournaments.

Jes’ priority is, and always will be, keeping her mother and family safe. The Fives allow her to send money to them but she has a very small network of people she can trust and Ro-emnu is one that she eventually puts a lot of trust in by asking him to protect her family. I found Ro to be an interesting character and I’m curious to see where Elliott goes with him in the next book.

I have to say here, from a character perspective, I thought Elliott did a wonderful job of not only continuing to build out Jes and show her growth, but she also showed the different sides of those supporting characters. Kal becomes more than just a prince running the Fives and Monoe was unexpected for me (sorry…not saying what happens).
As for Jes’ family, her relationship with her sisters is an interesting one and while they all seem to harbor some jealousy for each other, they still love each other. The difference I will call out here is that Bettany (Jes’ twin) carries a lot of bitterness and ultimately does something I would most likely hold against her for a while. Amaya is still a bit annoying but I found her to be more tolerable in this book as I began to understand her better. I’m not really sure how I feel about Jes’ father. Clearly he is right in the middle of something he has no control over but I’m pretty sure I would be giving him a much harder time than Jes is around the decisions he has made.

This book still drives home the differences in class and there are points of the story where Jes is still faced with people who disrespect her because of who her mother is. What I loved about it was it gave other characters the opportunity to jump in and show that not everyone thought the way certain individuals did and it gave me a bit of hope. The relationship between Jes and Kal definitely evolves and I thought it was done well. The new (and not so new) characters added to the story in a way that helped to move it forward.

If you are looking for a fantasy that includes a smart character, a bit of romance, political intrigue, and a lot of danger, definitely consider checking out this book. I do believe I liked this one a bit more than book one because of where things are with the story. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in this series and seeing where Elliott takes the characters and the rest of the story!

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!

Empire of Dust is the second book of the Blood of Gods and Royals series by Eleanor Herman and if you haven’t yet started this series and you enjoy an epic historical fantasy, you need to read! Also, when I say epic, I mean it. There are a lot of characters and a lot of things happening in these books but once I finished book one, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on book two. Considering everything that goes on in these books, I will tell you up front that I will most likely not cover everything and everyone...I'm ok with it. What I will say is that I enjoyed this second book and thought it was well done!

Empire picks up shortly after the end of Legacy of Kings and things are changing for all of the characters. Alexander knows about Katerina and it is now clear that Alexander and Katerina are linked by blood. As they continue to grow closer, Alexander’s friendship with Heph is suffering due to the actions Heph took on the battlefield. Because of this doubt he has in Heph, Alexander is struggling to determine who he can trust. As Alex begins to assert his power in order to unearth a spy in the council, he starts to do things that he can’t be proud of.

While Alex is dealing with all of that, he also believes that the Aesarian Lords have kidnapped Cynane…which is true. Despite my feelings for Cynane (I DON’T like her at all) I did feel bad for her due to the things she was being put through with the Lords. The only thing that helps her is that Jacob is now with the Lords and while under his watch, she manages to escape. I’m not saying anything about this as I don’t want to give anything away…just trust me, it creates an interesting twist. With that said, when she gets away, Cyn goes back to her scheming ways.

Now that Alex’s mother knows who Kat really is, she also has an agenda. As Heph and Kat find out her entire foster family was killed by Olympias, Alex decides to send Heph and Kat away to secure a military alliance since the princess he was originally supposed to marry is now missing or dead. As they face a few dangers, their friendship strengthens and they begin to rely on each other. Once they find Princess Laila and learn what really happened in the City of Sharuna, things become clearer.

The other character I will talk about here is Zofia. As the princess who was supposed to marry Alexander, she is now on a very different path. If you remember from book one, she is determined to get back to Cosmas, the man she loves and the father of the child she carries. As her story progresses, it is clear that things are still changing for Zo and her relationship with Ochus is definitely changing. As he reveals what he knows, he lets her go and Zo finds herself wandering on her own again trying to survive.

In addition to the characters, Herman does a wonderful job building the world out. Some of my favorite bits of this is when Heph and Kat are in Sharuna. I could imagine everything they were seeing very clearly.

Overall I thought this was a solid book two. There were some parts that felt a bit slow but all of the pieces are coming together to link all of the characters so I am really looking forward to seeing where Herman goes with the next book. Not only for the full story but because the ending of this book was definitely one that had me flipping pages wondering why Herman would be so cruel as to end the book the way she did! Just kidding – it only is cruel to me because it was a great ending and I NEED to know what is in store for everyone. If you are looking for a historical fantasy about the younger years of Alexander the Great, definitely check this book out. I myself will be waiting anxiously for the next book in this series.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!

And I Darken by Kiersten White was a book I had my eye on for a while and I’m so happy I was able to get my hands on an early copy. This book has a little of everything, strong characters, politics and deception, danger, and even a bit of romance. The actual story is based on the thought around the idea of Vlad the Impaler and what things might have been like if Vlad had been a girl. That alone was enough to get me excited to read!

Lada Dragwlya is the daughter of Vlad Dracul, the military governor of Transylvania and to say he was disappointed about having a daughter is probably a gross understatement. A year after Lada’s birth, her brother Radu is born and as these two grow up, they become complete opposites and that leads up to the rest of the story. I don’t think Lada has a sympathetic bone in her body and Radu is very sensitive and they couldn’t be more different in their personalities and how they react and engage with those around them. When their father hands them over to the Ottoman court, they find themselves in a situation they never really expected to be in.

As Lada and Radu grow up with the Ottomans, it is clear they both have very different perspectives. While Lada continues to try to keep herself as separate (as much as she can) from the Ottomans and not build any lasting relationships, Radu is searching for connections and begins to identify with the people around him. He was never able to rely on Lada for friendship and he is hungry to have someone to fill that role. By chance, Lada and Radu cross paths one day with Mehmed, the son of the sultan, and things change for them all.

While Lada, Radu, and Mehmed form a friendship, things are always out of their control. The only thing they can have any influence on is their relationships and eventually a triangle forms that creates some issues for all three. Despite her desire to stay separate, Lada feels a pull to Mehmed and Mehmed feels the same. The issue is that Radu begins to feel more for Mehmed as well and things slowly begin to pull these three apart.

Outside of the relationship between these characters, the story includes danger and deception and once Mehmed becomes the sole heir of the throne, the politics begin to tie into the story. I have to admit, I don’t blame Lada for not diving right in with Mehmed. As sultan, it is expected for him to have a harem and concubines and it is also expected that he visit them. While Mehmed says he loves and cares for Lada, he is for sure going to the harem and while she tries to hide it, it bothers Lada so she never really fully invests herself in any sort of relationship with Mehmed.

As the danger Mehmed faces as a young, determined leader become more obvious, Lada and Radu find themselves helping to protect Mehmed and this is one of the parts of the story that was my favorite. While I found parts in the beginning and middle of the story to be slow at some times, the ending of this book was fantastic and I loved how White wrapped everything up.
If you are looking for a story that has interesting characters, danger, romance, and everything in between, consider checking this one out. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in this series and can’t wait to find out what happens next.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy!

Trust Me by Romily Bernard is a book I have impatiently been waiting to get my hands on since I turned the last page of Remember Me. When I was able to chase down a copy at ALA this year I had two choices. I could read it right away and find out what was going on with some of my favorite characters or I could hold out because this is the last book…once I finished this book that was going to be it. So…I forced myself to wait at least until it was closer to the release date. Anyway, this book was everything I was hoping it would be and if you haven’t started this series, you really need to correct that.

If you recall, there were things that happened in Remember Me that didn’t make me happy (Read: GRIFF) and I didn’t really know what Bernard was going to do to me with this book. As the story picks up, Wick is being presented with an opportunity (although she might not think so immediately) that could change her life and protect her family. All she has to do is trust the people who run the organization called Looking Glass.

Looking Glass helps kids just like Wick to hone their computer skills, build a resume, and create a life that will give them security. As Wick is pulled into this organization, she still doesn’t know who she can trust and she finds herself in the middle of a situation that puts her and her family at risk. I loved how fitting this title was for Wick and her situation.

There is such a great mix of characters in this story. Wick has been a favorite of mine since I read Find Me and she has absolutely grown through these books. She cares about the people that are important to her and will do whatever she has to in order to keep them safe. I loved how, at its core, Wick’s relationship with her sister Lily never changed – they loved each other and wanted to do whatever was necessary to save/protect each other. Wick’s personality is also one that makes me love her – she is a great blend of smart and sarcastic and while she doesn’t always do what I think she should do, she does things for the right reasons.

I am only going to spend a little bit of time talking about Milo here. If you recall, he is now Wick’s boyfriend (NOOOOOOO) and there’s no question – he is interesting. I can’t say much about him and his role here because I don’t want to give any bits of the story away but we do get to learn more about him. He also comes through for Wick when he needs to so I can’t hold things against him…not really. I think that the reason Wick is drawn to him is that they are similar and ultimately she wants something better for Griff than what she can offer him.

Now I get to talk a bit about Griff. I was worried we wouldn’t see enough of him in this book but let me tell you…don’t worry. If you don’t remember all the reasons why I love him, go check out my previous reviews. I’m pretty sure I spend a good portion of each review waxing poetic about all of his swoony parts and I’m not ashamed. When Griff comes back into the story, he does so in a way that shows he still cares about Wick regardless of how things went for them in the last book.

So much happens in this book and there are a lot of twists and turns. There are new and old characters who add so much to the overall story and I loved it. The story that Bernard has written will have you turning the pages until the very end as the mix of characters and motives will have you guessing until the end about what really is going on. There is quite a bit of mystery and suspense in this entire series and this book definitely doesn’t stray from that. In the end I thought Bernard did a fantastic job of creating these characters and building out the story around them. As I turned the last page of this book I found myself happy with the way things ended for Wick. Then I also started to think…maybe Bernard isn’t really ending things. I know this is a final book but based on the ending, there’s room for more…and I would welcome more stories with these characters. Please take my word for it, you should be read this book (and series) as soon as you can! I will definitely be looking for more from Bernard in the future

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!