Review: Reynolds’ “Long Way Down” is an incredibly powerful, must-read. The story follows fifteen-year-old William Holloman, who is prepared to exact revenge on the person who murdered his brother, Shawn. As Will rides the elevator down with a gun tucked in his waistband. A new person who is somehow connected to his brother gets on at each stop and tells a story about their own life before death.

I found the concept of this work to be so fascinating, as it takes place in a sixty second time frame. Further, the novel’s structure is written in verse and is artfully done.

Though short, Reynolds’ novel in verse puts to voice real-life issues like gun violence which can generate much needed discussion. In addition, the work’s form and raw emotion merit a spot in every classroom around the globe. 

I definitely recommend this thought provoking read to anyone and everyone. 

Review: Julie Garwood has done it again! This book was excellent! 

Once again, I was completely immersed in Julie Garwood’s depiction of the Scottish Highlands and invested in the character’s and their stories. I especially loved Judith and Frances Catherine. Their friendship was so cute and I love how it communicates that some relationships can withstand whatever storm that comes their way. 

The romance was also absolutely swoon worthy. I love how Judith and Iain fell for each other on the ride up to the Highlands and could not be separated thereafter. Though Judith was the daughter of the laird of a rival clan, he did not abandon her, showing his love for Judith ran deep. He did not allow her past to define her as a person, which I think is an important message!

Review: Being a HUGE fan of Kiera Cass and her work, I first read “The Betrothed” last year when it was released. Knowing that the second book in the duology, “The Betrayed,” was coming out this year, I decided to give it a reread to refresh my memory. 

I think one of my favorite aspects of the story is the concept of a fantastical Tudor Era. Modeling a world off the Tudor Era provides familiarity but also allows for originality which Cass capitalized off of. 

The world building itself was quite intriguing. Each kingdom was given its own defining features and values. I was especially compelled by traditions like Crown Day, Coroan law, and the emphasis on the Queen’s role in the history of Coroa. 

Though there were many parts of this book I admired, I felt as though it still fell flat. 

The story itself felt rushed. I am usually not one for heavy imagery, but this book did not spend enough time on it. There were little to no character descriptions which made it hard to connect with the characters and imagine what they looked like. In addition, the fast-paced storyline made the “love at first sight” concept Cass was trying to utilize seem unrealistic / unbelievable. The speed in which the relationship progressed was a bit off-putting and quite literally happened “at first sight” with little to no build up. 

Another area of the book I struggled with was the absence of character development. After reading “The Betrothed,” I was left with so many questions. We weren’t given much background knowledge when it came to the main characters. My guess is this might have been done purposefully so as to address it in the second book, yet I wish she had included this information in this first book so as to inform readers of her character’s motivations. 

Given these points, I would label “The Betrothed” as mediocre. While it was not my favorite book, I enjoyed the quick and easy summer read!

Review: When I saw that Barnes and Noble was selling a signed copy of Kiera Cass’ “The Betrayed,” I knew that I had to get my hands on it! I am so glad I decided to purchase this book, because I definitely liked it much more than the first in its duo, “The Betrothed.”

In my previous review of “The Betrothed,” I mentioned that I struggled with the absence character development. That issue was definitely resolved in “The Betrayed!” After Silas’ death, Hollis matured and really came into her own. It was also exciting to follow Etan’s character. When the reader is first introduced to Etan in “The Betrothed,” he is incredibly rude and guarded. It was exciting to watch him let his guard down and grow into a soft, lovable character as he began to accept Hollis for who she was in this second book.

In addition, the imagery improved in “The Betrayed.” I felt like I could really picture Isolte because Cass took the time to describe how the architecture and clothing differed from that of Coroa. The world building I admired from the first book also carried over into “The Betrayed” in the form of Isolte traditions like how birthdays were celebrated and “bread day” which was awesome!

One of my favorite aspects from “The Betrayed” was the introduction of an enemies to lovers romance. The banter between both Hollis and her new love interest was incredibly entertaining and enjoyable to read. Further, I found it more realistic / believable than Hollis’ romance with Silas from the first book.
Though I loved this book, there were still a few problems that I ran into.

The pacing was still a bit too fast for my tastes. I also found the departure of King Jameson, King Quentin, and Hagan to be way too convenient. I feel as though these issues could have been ironed out if the book were lengthened by a few chapters.

All in all, I found “The Betrayed” to be yet another fun summer read with little surprises spread throughout! I am very happy with how this duology was concluded and I am looking forward to Cass’ next work!

Jess Approved?: ✓

Review: There are a lot of elements of “The Kiss of Deception” that I LOVED! 

To start, I was completely immersed in the world building. Pearson did a phenomenal job creating languages, like the language of Venda, from scratch. I was also impressed by how Pearson constructed the religion prominent in Morrighan. Excerpts from religious texts (songs and testaments) were a refreshing addition, as they provided a change in format. Pearson also spent a lot of time establishing the three monarchies in her world and the different group of groups of people within them (The Morrighese, the Dalbretch, the Vendans, and tribes of Gaudrel).

I really loved the characters Pearson created and how she developed their relationships with each other. It was also great that we got to read from multiple perspectives! I found Lia to be a strong character who was not afraid to get dirty and sacrifice her happiness for others, which I greatly admired. I really loved her friendship with Pauline. The love triangle between Rafe, Kaden, and Lia was complex and incredibly entertaining!

Though there were many parts of this book that I loved, there were some areas I had some trouble with. I felt as though too much time was spent in Terravin and by the end of the novel, I was unsure of the larger conflict. I also found the character motives to be a bit flimsy. For example, I did not quite understand why Kaden, a seasoned assassin, would simply let Lia live. 

All in all I am SO glad I decided to start reading “The Remnant Chronicles” before beginning the “Dance of Thieves” duology! “The Kiss of Deception” is a must-read for those new to the fantasy genre.

Review: Do Not Say We Have Nothing was chosen as a summer read for my book club and I am so glad I gave it a read! 

My favorite part about the novel is how the past and present are intertwined. Thien does a fantastic job revealing events to the reader that are chronologically out of order. To link the past to the present, Thien introduces a multitude of characters and writes from each of their perspectives. Many of these characters end up interacting with one another, creating interrelation. 

I also enjoyed the novel’s historical elements and look into Chinese culture. One of the timelines within Do Not Say We Have Nothing takes place during the Cultural Revolution in the China. I did not know much about this sociopolitical movement prior to reading Thien’s work. Throughout my time spent with the text, I learned much about Zedong’s cruelty and the millions of lives that were lost. With each chapter I read, I did more and more research and I appreciate the novel for pushing me to do so. In addition to learning more about historical events such as the Cultural Revolution, I was exposed to Chinese culture. Thien introduces to the reader to Chinese characters in the very first chapter. It was fascinating to learn how the meaning of certain characters change when they are combined with others. 

Though there were many parts of this novel I enjoyed, it took me a while to get into it. At times, the book put me into a reading slump. I think one of the reasons I had a hard time getting into this book can be attributed to the fact that there were too many characters and I didn’t connect with them. Their stories felt secondary to some of the musical and historical elements which were overwhelming in and of themselves. Music is tied to many of the characters and many composers and pieces were mentioned that I was not familiar with. Because so many references were made, I eventually gave up doing research because I just wanted to finish the story. 

That being said, I am grateful to have been introduced to Thien’s work! Her writing is both spectacular and complex.

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Review: Holy cow! “The Heart of Betrayal” does not suffer from second book syndrome in the slightest! In fact, the second book in “The Remnant Chronicles” blew its predecessor, “The Kiss of Deception,” out of the water!

One of my favorite aspects of “The Heart of Betrayal” was being able to explore the Kingdom of Venda. Venda itself was very complex and Pearson did a great job developing the clans within the kingdom, the government system, the language, the history, and the culture. The government system was well thought out with a Komizar (dictator), Rahtan (band of assassins), Chievdars (chiefs/generals), and Govenors. The cultural elements that were included were intriguing in and of themselves. The small details like saying the blessing before dinner, collecting bones leftover from meals and fastening to them the hip, and wearing dresses made from scraps sewn together made Venda seem all the more real. Details such as these paired with the wonderful imagery helped set the tone for the dreary kingdom. 

In addition to visiting Venda, I really enjoyed the inclusion of Pauline’s perspective in the novel. Pauline’s perspective helped the reader stay connected to the Kingdom of Morrighan. 

I also felt like I got a better sense of the conflict in this novel and enjoyed how fast-paced it was. There were a lot of fun twists and turns I did not see coming! It was great to be thrown right into the action!

Review: I found “The Beauty of Darkness” to be the perfect book to bring “The Remnant Chronicles” to a close!

In my previous reviews of “The Kiss of Deception” and “The Heart of Betrayal,” I commented on Pearson’s knack for world building and character development. Pearson continues to impress in “The Beauty of Darkness.” I particularly loved Lia’s development. She came such a long way from book one, finally stepping up to be the leader she was always meant to be!

I also appreciate how this book made me experience full range of emotion. I felt sadness for those who lost their lives in the final battle, frustration with Rafe for being overbearing at times, happiness for Kaden after he found his perfect match, and relief after receiving a satisfying end to the book.

Speaking of the book’s ending, I enjoyed how Pearson chose to write the final battle! Multiple perspectives were included in one chapter and allowed for the reader to jump through each point of view rapidly as if they were experiencing the battle in real time. The inclusion of multiple viewpoints in a single chapter was something I had not seen before and I found it to be a fascinating literary device! I only wish the battle were longer, as it was only one chapter. Because of this, the outcome felt too convenient and rushed.

All in all, I enjoyed the book’s pacing, the strong female characters that banded together, the great writing, and the nonstop action! “The Beauty of Darkness” has nothing short of jaw-dropping surprises and provides the perfect ending to an epic fantasy trilogy!

Jess Approved?: ✓

Review: THIS. BOOK. WAS. INCREDIBLE! Why did it take me so long to get to this series?! Tahir’s writing is absolutely beautiful and she is definitely on my list of favorite authors. 

Tahir’s complex world-building blew me away. I found the idea of modeling the world after the Roman Empire fascinating and I loved being able to explore Blackcliff! The imagery really helped me picture the space and form distinctions between the different soldier rankings (skulls, fivers, yearlings, and masks). Tahir also took her time crafting the religion (with figures like the augurs) and establishing the different groups of people and the conflicts they had with each other (Martials, Tribesman, and Scholars). 

It was not hard to form attachments to Tahir’s characters, as she wrote in multiple perspectives which I appreciated! The romance was subtle and I loved how topics such as war and oppression took center stage. 

“An Ember in the Ashes” is definitely one of the best books I have read in a while! I cannot get enough of the story and I am looking forward to picking up book 2!

Review: I recently decided to read “The Shadows Between Us” and I am so glad I did! I enjoyed the book’s enemies to lovers romance and it was really refreshing to be able to read a standalone because I feel like I’ve been reading a ton of series lately!

I absolutely loved Alessandra Stathos’ character and what she stood for. To reiterate what she emphasized in the novel, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a sexually empowered woman and I think this is a great message.
I also really enjoyed Kallias’ character and found his power intriguing! The concept of shadows protecting someone from bodily harm was not something I had seen before and I appreciated that Levenseller insured that Kallias was not without weakness.

One thing I struggled with was the number of characters that were introduced. It was hard to keep track of who was who, as many of them did not have defining features or characteristics which made things confusing at times. I just thought that the inclusion of certain characters was unnecessary for that reason.

In addition, I wanted more from the ending. Finding out who killed Kallias’ parents felt predictable and I felt as though there were still some loose ends (was Lady Zervas involved in the murder plot or not?).

Overall, I really had a fun time reading this book and savored its mysterious and romantic elements. If you are looking for a standalone, definitely check this one out!

Jess Approved?: ✓