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popthebutterfly
Disclaimer: I bought TWO copies of this book cause I’m weak. Support your authors, especially your local ones!
Authors: Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Publication Date: August 6th, 2019
Diversity: Lena (one of the main characters and one POV character) is African American, as well as a many of the characters in this book.
Recommended Age: 16+ (riots, violence, guns, and unlikely friends)
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Synopsis: Lena and Campbell aren't friends.
Lena has her killer style, her awesome boyfriend, and a plan. She knows she's going to make it big. Campbell, on the other hand, is just trying to keep her head down and get through the year at her new school.
When both girls attend the Friday-night football game, what neither expects is for everything to descend into sudden mass chaos. Chaos born from violence and hate. Chaos that unexpectedly throws them together.
They aren't friends. They hardly understand the other's point of view. But none of that matters when the city is up in flames, and they only have each other to rely on if they're going to survive the night.
Review: Holy cow this book was a rollercoaster of amazing emotions and full of thought-provoking text. The characters were all very well developed, I felt for each of them, and the plot was something that has and could happen again. The writing is amazing and the text doesn’t read like two different people wrote it. The book is one of those that you should read, I highly recommend it. I also recommend getting the B&N copy with the extras at the end.
There’s not an epilogue that wraps everything up with the regular version (and neither is there with the B&N version really, it’s just set a couple of weeks after the event), but is there ever one with life? Sometimes things happen to you and the next day you wake up and have to go to school.
Verdict: Definitely a must read.
Authors: Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Publication Date: August 6th, 2019
Diversity: Lena (one of the main characters and one POV character) is African American, as well as a many of the characters in this book.
Recommended Age: 16+ (riots, violence, guns, and unlikely friends)
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Synopsis: Lena and Campbell aren't friends.
Lena has her killer style, her awesome boyfriend, and a plan. She knows she's going to make it big. Campbell, on the other hand, is just trying to keep her head down and get through the year at her new school.
When both girls attend the Friday-night football game, what neither expects is for everything to descend into sudden mass chaos. Chaos born from violence and hate. Chaos that unexpectedly throws them together.
They aren't friends. They hardly understand the other's point of view. But none of that matters when the city is up in flames, and they only have each other to rely on if they're going to survive the night.
Review: Holy cow this book was a rollercoaster of amazing emotions and full of thought-provoking text. The characters were all very well developed, I felt for each of them, and the plot was something that has and could happen again. The writing is amazing and the text doesn’t read like two different people wrote it. The book is one of those that you should read, I highly recommend it. I also recommend getting the B&N copy with the extras at the end.
There’s not an epilogue that wraps everything up with the regular version (and neither is there with the B&N version really, it’s just set a couple of weeks after the event), but is there ever one with life? Sometimes things happen to you and the next day you wake up and have to go to school.
Verdict: Definitely a must read.
Rating: 5/5
Genre: Romance
Recommended Age: 12+ (For any Jane Austen, Louisa May Alcott, or Bronte sister afan).
Favorite Quote: "In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."
I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This arrangement did not change my opinion in anyway.
Introducing Book Candy Classics. They're fun They're gorgeous They're new! Sink your teeth into your favorite story and discover new ones to swoon over! “You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” This is the beginning of one of the most famous literary proposals of all time and the first in this anthology of the most romantic, poignant and colorful love declarations found in classic and modern literature. From spurned lovers to love letters pleading for a long-forgotten romance, this lovely book will remind you of your favorite literary couples and introduce you to new ones. Sometimes a heroic action is in itself a love declaration, or the story ends with the realization that love was there all along –these excerpts from masterpieces of classic and modern literature are as diverse as they are entertaining. Easily read, they will make you laugh, cry and fall in love all over again. All the passionate love scenes we have adored and reread until the pages of our books curled with time are now collected in this beautiful volume to be perused over and over again. Whether you’ve fallen in love with Mr. Darcy, Heathcliff, Captain Wentworth, Theodore Lawrence, Gilbert Blythe or Newland Archer, this book is for you.
So again I'm not normally a romance reader and I continue to be a disgrace to the bookstagram community by admitting I've never read Pride and Prejudice or any of the beautifully written romance classics, but this was why I was so excited to receive an ARC of this book! This is not a retelling or anything, this book is a collection of chapters from various famous classics containing love scenes, proposals, declarations, etc. I love how this book is put together and I love how this can be a quick reference guide to your favorite scenes. This can also be a great introductory book for readers to find new classics to read! It's a quick read, you can skip around to find the stories your heart desires at the moment, and you can find new couples to swoon over.
The only "bad" thing about this book is that it doesn't tell you what books the stories are from until the end of the chapter. I think putting the book title at the beginning of the chapter would be less confusing, but overall I immensely enjoyed this book and I'll read bits and pieces of it for years to come.
Genre: Romance
Recommended Age: 12+ (For any Jane Austen, Louisa May Alcott, or Bronte sister afan).
Favorite Quote: "In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."
I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This arrangement did not change my opinion in anyway.
Introducing Book Candy Classics. They're fun They're gorgeous They're new! Sink your teeth into your favorite story and discover new ones to swoon over! “You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” This is the beginning of one of the most famous literary proposals of all time and the first in this anthology of the most romantic, poignant and colorful love declarations found in classic and modern literature. From spurned lovers to love letters pleading for a long-forgotten romance, this lovely book will remind you of your favorite literary couples and introduce you to new ones. Sometimes a heroic action is in itself a love declaration, or the story ends with the realization that love was there all along –these excerpts from masterpieces of classic and modern literature are as diverse as they are entertaining. Easily read, they will make you laugh, cry and fall in love all over again. All the passionate love scenes we have adored and reread until the pages of our books curled with time are now collected in this beautiful volume to be perused over and over again. Whether you’ve fallen in love with Mr. Darcy, Heathcliff, Captain Wentworth, Theodore Lawrence, Gilbert Blythe or Newland Archer, this book is for you.
So again I'm not normally a romance reader and I continue to be a disgrace to the bookstagram community by admitting I've never read Pride and Prejudice or any of the beautifully written romance classics, but this was why I was so excited to receive an ARC of this book! This is not a retelling or anything, this book is a collection of chapters from various famous classics containing love scenes, proposals, declarations, etc. I love how this book is put together and I love how this can be a quick reference guide to your favorite scenes. This can also be a great introductory book for readers to find new classics to read! It's a quick read, you can skip around to find the stories your heart desires at the moment, and you can find new couples to swoon over.
The only "bad" thing about this book is that it doesn't tell you what books the stories are from until the end of the chapter. I think putting the book title at the beginning of the chapter would be less confusing, but overall I immensely enjoyed this book and I'll read bits and pieces of it for years to come.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Author: Ryan Calejo
Book Series: Charlie Hernandez Book 1
Rating: 5/5
Publication Date: October 23, 2018
Recommended Age: 12+ (slight language and some scary moments, little violence)
Genre: MG fantasy
Publisher: Aladdin
Synopsis: Charlie Hernández has always been proud of his Latin American heritage. He loves the culture, the art, and especially the myths. Thanks to his abuela’s stories, Charlie possesses an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the monsters and ghouls who have spent the last five hundred years haunting the imaginations of children all across the Iberian Peninsula, as well as Central and South America. And even though his grandmother sometimes hinted that the tales might be more than mere myth, Charlie’s always been a pragmatist. Even barely out of diapers, he knew the stories were just make-believe—nothing more than intricately woven fables meant to keep little kids from misbehaving.
But when Charlie begins to experience freaky bodily manifestations—ones all too similar to those described by his grandma in his favorite legend—he is suddenly swept up in a world where the mythical beings he’s spent his entire life hearing about seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Hispanic folklore and into his life. And even stranger, they seem to know more about him than he knows about himself.
Soon, Charlie finds himself in the middle of an ancient battle between La Liga, a secret society of legendary mythological beings sworn to protect the Land of the Living, and La Mano Negra (a.k.a. the Black Hand), a cabal of evil spirits determined to rule mankind. With only the help of his lifelong crush, Violet Rey, and his grandmother’s stories to guide him, Charlie must navigate a world where monsters and brujas rule and things he couldn’t possibly imagine go bump in the night. That is, if he has any hope of discovering what’s happening to him and saving his missing parents (oh, and maybe even the world).
No pressure, muchacho.
Review: Let me start this by saying I actually wasn't supposed to do a review for this book. I thought I selected excerpt and I was just going to present some info about it. But when I got it I thought "might as well read it" and guys... One of the best decisions of my life was picking up this book. The writing was amazing and funny. The story was expertly crafted. I loved the characters and I love how developed they were and I just fell in love with Charlie.
My only ONLY complaint is that the ending gets a bit more faster paced and I felt like two of the characters could have been a bit more developed but that's it. I truly loved this book to pieces and I read it in a matter of 6 hours.
Verdict: I highly recommend this and I'm glad I have an arc of the second book!
Author: Ryan Calejo
Book Series: Charlie Hernandez Book 1
Rating: 5/5
Publication Date: October 23, 2018
Recommended Age: 12+ (slight language and some scary moments, little violence)
Genre: MG fantasy
Publisher: Aladdin
Synopsis: Charlie Hernández has always been proud of his Latin American heritage. He loves the culture, the art, and especially the myths. Thanks to his abuela’s stories, Charlie possesses an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the monsters and ghouls who have spent the last five hundred years haunting the imaginations of children all across the Iberian Peninsula, as well as Central and South America. And even though his grandmother sometimes hinted that the tales might be more than mere myth, Charlie’s always been a pragmatist. Even barely out of diapers, he knew the stories were just make-believe—nothing more than intricately woven fables meant to keep little kids from misbehaving.
But when Charlie begins to experience freaky bodily manifestations—ones all too similar to those described by his grandma in his favorite legend—he is suddenly swept up in a world where the mythical beings he’s spent his entire life hearing about seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Hispanic folklore and into his life. And even stranger, they seem to know more about him than he knows about himself.
Soon, Charlie finds himself in the middle of an ancient battle between La Liga, a secret society of legendary mythological beings sworn to protect the Land of the Living, and La Mano Negra (a.k.a. the Black Hand), a cabal of evil spirits determined to rule mankind. With only the help of his lifelong crush, Violet Rey, and his grandmother’s stories to guide him, Charlie must navigate a world where monsters and brujas rule and things he couldn’t possibly imagine go bump in the night. That is, if he has any hope of discovering what’s happening to him and saving his missing parents (oh, and maybe even the world).
No pressure, muchacho.
Review: Let me start this by saying I actually wasn't supposed to do a review for this book. I thought I selected excerpt and I was just going to present some info about it. But when I got it I thought "might as well read it" and guys... One of the best decisions of my life was picking up this book. The writing was amazing and funny. The story was expertly crafted. I loved the characters and I love how developed they were and I just fell in love with Charlie.
My only ONLY complaint is that the ending gets a bit more faster paced and I felt like two of the characters could have been a bit more developed but that's it. I truly loved this book to pieces and I read it in a matter of 6 hours.
Verdict: I highly recommend this and I'm glad I have an arc of the second book!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher but gave the wrong email so I borrowed an arc from a friend
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher! Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Author: Jillian Boehme
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Publication Date: September 24, 2019
Recommended Age: 16+ (cursing, slight fire, blood, violence)
Genre: YA fantasy
Publisher: TorTeen
Synopsis: If Rain weren’t a girl, she would be respected as a Neshu combat master. Instead, her gender dooms her to a colorless future. When an army of nomads invades her kingdom, and a draft forces every household to send one man to fight, Rain takes her chance to seize the life she wants.
Knowing she’ll be killed if she’s discovered, Rain purchases powder made from dragon magic that enables her to disguise herself as a boy. Then she hurries to the war camps, where she excels in her training—and wrestles with the voice that has taken shape inside her head. The voice of a dragon she never truly believed existed.
As war looms and Rain is enlisted into an elite, secret unit tasked with rescuing the High King, she begins to realize this dragon tincture may hold the key to her kingdom’s victory. For the dragons that once guarded her land have slumbered for centuries . . . and someone must awaken them to fight once more.
Review: I really liked this book for the most part. I felt the writing was pretty good, the characters were very well developed, and the worldbuilding was well done. I liked that this book was a retelling of Mulan and I loved the female empowerment message behind it.
However, there were some things I didn't particularly like or understand about this book. The use of the word "simpleton" to describe Storm made me feel uncomfortable. I get it was a word used in a previous time period but it just always made me uncomfortable. I thought the book had some awkward time jumps too. They weren't separated from the previous passage, making the read confusing. And I thought the addition of the dragons confused the story for me. I didn't get their overall purpose when it seemed that it could have been a straight Mulan retelling and be fine as just that.
Verdict: If ye love dragons then ye will love this book!
Author: Jillian Boehme
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Publication Date: September 24, 2019
Recommended Age: 16+ (cursing, slight fire, blood, violence)
Genre: YA fantasy
Publisher: TorTeen
Synopsis: If Rain weren’t a girl, she would be respected as a Neshu combat master. Instead, her gender dooms her to a colorless future. When an army of nomads invades her kingdom, and a draft forces every household to send one man to fight, Rain takes her chance to seize the life she wants.
Knowing she’ll be killed if she’s discovered, Rain purchases powder made from dragon magic that enables her to disguise herself as a boy. Then she hurries to the war camps, where she excels in her training—and wrestles with the voice that has taken shape inside her head. The voice of a dragon she never truly believed existed.
As war looms and Rain is enlisted into an elite, secret unit tasked with rescuing the High King, she begins to realize this dragon tincture may hold the key to her kingdom’s victory. For the dragons that once guarded her land have slumbered for centuries . . . and someone must awaken them to fight once more.
Review: I really liked this book for the most part. I felt the writing was pretty good, the characters were very well developed, and the worldbuilding was well done. I liked that this book was a retelling of Mulan and I loved the female empowerment message behind it.
However, there were some things I didn't particularly like or understand about this book. The use of the word "simpleton" to describe Storm made me feel uncomfortable. I get it was a word used in a previous time period but it just always made me uncomfortable. I thought the book had some awkward time jumps too. They weren't separated from the previous passage, making the read confusing. And I thought the addition of the dragons confused the story for me. I didn't get their overall purpose when it seemed that it could have been a straight Mulan retelling and be fine as just that.
Verdict: If ye love dragons then ye will love this book!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher! Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Author: Kate Alice Marshall
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Publication Date: September 24, 2019
Recommended Age: 16+ (cursing, gore, suicide jokes and imagery, blood, violence)
Genre: YA Horror
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Synopsis: In the faux-documentary style of The Blair Witch Project comes the campfire story of a missing girl, a vengeful ghost, and the girl who is determined to find her sister--at all costs.
Once a year, the path appears in the forest and Lucy Gallows beckons. Who is brave enough to find her--and who won't make it out of the woods?
It's been exactly one year since Sara's sister, Becca, disappeared, and high school life has far from settled back to normal. With her sister gone, Sara doesn't know whether her former friends no longer like her...or are scared of her, and the days of eating alone at lunch have started to blend together. When a mysterious text message invites Sara and her estranged friends to "play the game" and find local ghost legend Lucy Gallows, Sara is sure this is the only way to find Becca--before she's lost forever. And even though she's hardly spoken with them for a year, Sara finds herself deep in the darkness of the forest, her friends--and their cameras--following her down the path. Together, they will have to draw on all of their strengths to survive. The road is rarely forgiving, and no one will be the same on the other side.
Review: Holy crap guys this book had me reading until the early hours of the morning and having nightmares within the hour! It was so scary and I loved every second of it! The world building was amazing, the characters were well developed and that format?? Stupendous.
My only... ONLY issues were that I saw the twist coming (but I'm good at that) and I felt that the book got a bit chaotic in a few spots, so you had to go back and re-read it (but honestly that just adds to the horror of it). Also, you gotta pay attention to the book. There are many little details that help add to the horror of the book as long as you pay attention. That's not a bad thing, but I know some readers don't pay attention to the details as much, so I just wanted to point it out as a possible negative of you're that type of reader.
Verdict: The Spooks be real in this one.
Author: Kate Alice Marshall
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Publication Date: September 24, 2019
Recommended Age: 16+ (cursing, gore, suicide jokes and imagery, blood, violence)
Genre: YA Horror
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Synopsis: In the faux-documentary style of The Blair Witch Project comes the campfire story of a missing girl, a vengeful ghost, and the girl who is determined to find her sister--at all costs.
Once a year, the path appears in the forest and Lucy Gallows beckons. Who is brave enough to find her--and who won't make it out of the woods?
It's been exactly one year since Sara's sister, Becca, disappeared, and high school life has far from settled back to normal. With her sister gone, Sara doesn't know whether her former friends no longer like her...or are scared of her, and the days of eating alone at lunch have started to blend together. When a mysterious text message invites Sara and her estranged friends to "play the game" and find local ghost legend Lucy Gallows, Sara is sure this is the only way to find Becca--before she's lost forever. And even though she's hardly spoken with them for a year, Sara finds herself deep in the darkness of the forest, her friends--and their cameras--following her down the path. Together, they will have to draw on all of their strengths to survive. The road is rarely forgiving, and no one will be the same on the other side.
Review: Holy crap guys this book had me reading until the early hours of the morning and having nightmares within the hour! It was so scary and I loved every second of it! The world building was amazing, the characters were well developed and that format?? Stupendous.
My only... ONLY issues were that I saw the twist coming (but I'm good at that) and I felt that the book got a bit chaotic in a few spots, so you had to go back and re-read it (but honestly that just adds to the horror of it). Also, you gotta pay attention to the book. There are many little details that help add to the horror of the book as long as you pay attention. That's not a bad thing, but I know some readers don't pay attention to the details as much, so I just wanted to point it out as a possible negative of you're that type of reader.
Verdict: The Spooks be real in this one.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Author: Lindsey Duga
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Publication Date: October 1, 2019
Recommended Age: 15+ ("in a world of pure imagination")
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Entangled: Teen
Synopsis: Briony never planned to go back to the place she lost everything.
Firefly Valley, nestled deep within the Smoky Mountains, is better kept in her past. After an unexplained fire gave Briony amnesia, her mother disappeared and her dad moved them to Knoxville.
But now her grandmother needs a caretaker and Briony's dad volunteers her to help. The moment she returns, her whole world shifts. She feels a magical connection to this valley, as if it's literally part of her somehow.
And when she meets a hot guy who claims he was her childhood friend but now mysteriously keeps his distance, Briony starts piecing together her missing past...and discovers her mother didn't leave to start a new life somewhere. She's trapped in the hidden world within the valley.
Now, Briony will do whatever it takes to rescue her, even if it means standing up against dangerously powerful nature spirits. Even if it means giving up her first love.
Review: I thought this book was cute and very well written. The story was intriguing and the world building was very well done. I also felt the pacing was even as well.
I did feel that the story was a bit hard to get into though and the characters didn't really speak to me. The book was hard for me to get into but that's probably just my mood at the moment.
Verdict: A decent fantasy and a gorgeous story.
Author: Lindsey Duga
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Publication Date: October 1, 2019
Recommended Age: 15+ ("in a world of pure imagination")
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Entangled: Teen
Synopsis: Briony never planned to go back to the place she lost everything.
Firefly Valley, nestled deep within the Smoky Mountains, is better kept in her past. After an unexplained fire gave Briony amnesia, her mother disappeared and her dad moved them to Knoxville.
But now her grandmother needs a caretaker and Briony's dad volunteers her to help. The moment she returns, her whole world shifts. She feels a magical connection to this valley, as if it's literally part of her somehow.
And when she meets a hot guy who claims he was her childhood friend but now mysteriously keeps his distance, Briony starts piecing together her missing past...and discovers her mother didn't leave to start a new life somewhere. She's trapped in the hidden world within the valley.
Now, Briony will do whatever it takes to rescue her, even if it means standing up against dangerously powerful nature spirits. Even if it means giving up her first love.
Review: I thought this book was cute and very well written. The story was intriguing and the world building was very well done. I also felt the pacing was even as well.
I did feel that the story was a bit hard to get into though and the characters didn't really speak to me. The book was hard for me to get into but that's probably just my mood at the moment.
Verdict: A decent fantasy and a gorgeous story.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher but I also bought my own copy early thanks to @decaturbookfest. Thanks! All options are my own!
Author: Corrie Wang
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Publication Date: September 17, 2019
Recommended Age: 15+ (violence and slight gore, some romance)
Genre: YA Dystopian
Publisher: Freeform
Synopsis: "If you see a beast, and you have the shot, don't hesitate. Kill it."
For seventeen years, fees have lived separate from beasts. The division of the sexes has kept their world peaceful. Glori Rhodes is like most other fees her age. She adores her neighborhood's abandoned Costco, can bench her body weight, and she knew twenty-seven beast counter attack moves by the time she was seven. She has never questioned the separation of the sexes or the rules that keep her post-nuclear hometown safe. But when her mother secretly gives birth to a baby beast, Glori grows to love the child and can't help wondering: What really is the difference between us and them?
When her brother, at the age of five, is snatched in a vicious raid, Glori and her best friend, Su, do the unthinkable - covertly infiltrate the City of Beasts to get him back. What's meant to be a smash-and-grab job quickly becomes the adventure of a lifetime as the fees team up with a fast-talking, T-shirt cannon wielding beast named Sway, and Glori starts to see that there's more to males, and her own history, than she's been taught. Glori, Sway, and a motley cohort of friends will go to the ends of the earth to find her little brother. And maybe save their divided world while they're at it.
Review: I loved this amazing book! I loved the commentary on gender and I thought the story did well to convey that lesson to teens. The book has great world building and amazing character development.
My only issue was that I felt the story was slow in pace in a couple of places. That's it. This is a really good book!
Verdict: A must read!
Author: Corrie Wang
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Publication Date: September 17, 2019
Recommended Age: 15+ (violence and slight gore, some romance)
Genre: YA Dystopian
Publisher: Freeform
Synopsis: "If you see a beast, and you have the shot, don't hesitate. Kill it."
For seventeen years, fees have lived separate from beasts. The division of the sexes has kept their world peaceful. Glori Rhodes is like most other fees her age. She adores her neighborhood's abandoned Costco, can bench her body weight, and she knew twenty-seven beast counter attack moves by the time she was seven. She has never questioned the separation of the sexes or the rules that keep her post-nuclear hometown safe. But when her mother secretly gives birth to a baby beast, Glori grows to love the child and can't help wondering: What really is the difference between us and them?
When her brother, at the age of five, is snatched in a vicious raid, Glori and her best friend, Su, do the unthinkable - covertly infiltrate the City of Beasts to get him back. What's meant to be a smash-and-grab job quickly becomes the adventure of a lifetime as the fees team up with a fast-talking, T-shirt cannon wielding beast named Sway, and Glori starts to see that there's more to males, and her own history, than she's been taught. Glori, Sway, and a motley cohort of friends will go to the ends of the earth to find her little brother. And maybe save their divided world while they're at it.
Review: I loved this amazing book! I loved the commentary on gender and I thought the story did well to convey that lesson to teens. The book has great world building and amazing character development.
My only issue was that I felt the story was slow in pace in a couple of places. That's it. This is a really good book!
Verdict: A must read!
Disclaimer: I received this book from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Author: Luanne G. Smith
Book Series: book 1 of The Vine Witch series
Rating: 4/5
Publication Date: October 1!
Recommended Age: 16+ (some gore and some gross toad skin eating that still makes my skin crawl. Romance and revenge)
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: I think it's indie? Not sure I can't find a publisher so someone correct me please.
Synopsis: For centuries, the vineyards at Château Renard have depended on the talent of their vine witches, whose spells help create the world-renowned wine of the Chanceaux Valley. Then the skill of divining harvests fell into ruin when sorcière Elena Boureanu was blindsided by a curse. Now, after breaking the spell that confined her to the shallows of a marshland and weakened her magic, Elena is struggling to return to her former life. And the vineyard she was destined to inherit is now in the possession of a handsome stranger.
Vigneron Jean-Paul Martel naively favors science over superstition, and he certainly doesn’t endorse the locals’ belief in witches. But Elena knows a hex when she sees one, and the vineyard is covered in them. To stay on and help the vines recover, she’ll have to hide her true identity, along with her plans for revenge against whoever stole seven winters of her life. And she won’t rest until she can defy the evil powers that are still a threat to herself, Jean-Paul, and the ancient vine-witch legacy in the rolling hills of the Chanceaux Valley.
Review: I thought this was an amazing book! It was the perfect fall book and I absolutely fell in love with the atmosphere. The writing was well done and the world building was magnificent. The story was also very interesting!
However, I do feel like the pacing was a bit off. It was fast then slow then fast again. The characters were a bit flat for me, and the way the story started was so cool but then I felt a little lost when we moved on to the rest of the story. It might have been just me and my mood but overall I did enjoy it, I was just confused.
Verdict: I would definitely recommend this one, especially for a fall read.
Author: Luanne G. Smith
Book Series: book 1 of The Vine Witch series
Rating: 4/5
Publication Date: October 1!
Recommended Age: 16+ (some gore and some gross toad skin eating that still makes my skin crawl. Romance and revenge)
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: I think it's indie? Not sure I can't find a publisher so someone correct me please.
Synopsis: For centuries, the vineyards at Château Renard have depended on the talent of their vine witches, whose spells help create the world-renowned wine of the Chanceaux Valley. Then the skill of divining harvests fell into ruin when sorcière Elena Boureanu was blindsided by a curse. Now, after breaking the spell that confined her to the shallows of a marshland and weakened her magic, Elena is struggling to return to her former life. And the vineyard she was destined to inherit is now in the possession of a handsome stranger.
Vigneron Jean-Paul Martel naively favors science over superstition, and he certainly doesn’t endorse the locals’ belief in witches. But Elena knows a hex when she sees one, and the vineyard is covered in them. To stay on and help the vines recover, she’ll have to hide her true identity, along with her plans for revenge against whoever stole seven winters of her life. And she won’t rest until she can defy the evil powers that are still a threat to herself, Jean-Paul, and the ancient vine-witch legacy in the rolling hills of the Chanceaux Valley.
Review: I thought this was an amazing book! It was the perfect fall book and I absolutely fell in love with the atmosphere. The writing was well done and the world building was magnificent. The story was also very interesting!
However, I do feel like the pacing was a bit off. It was fast then slow then fast again. The characters were a bit flat for me, and the way the story started was so cool but then I felt a little lost when we moved on to the rest of the story. It might have been just me and my mood but overall I did enjoy it, I was just confused.
Verdict: I would definitely recommend this one, especially for a fall read.
Disclaimer: I bought this book on my own! Support your authors!
Author: L. Penelope
Book Series: Earthsinger Chronicles Book 1
Rating: 3/5
Publication Date: May 1, 2018
Recommended Age: 16+ (some violence, some gore, romance, duty, and love)
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Synopsis: A treacherous, thrilling, epic fantasy about an outcast drawn into a war between two powerful rulers.
Orphaned and alone, Jasminda lives in a land where cold whispers of invasion and war linger on the wind. Jasminda herself is an outcast in her homeland of Elsira, where her gift of Earthsong is feared. When ruthless soldiers seek refuge in her isolated cabin, they bring with them a captive--an injured spy who threatens to steal her heart.
Jack's mission behind enemy lines to prove that the Mantle between Elsira and Lagamiri is about to fall nearly cost him his life, but he is saved by the healing Song of a mysterious young woman. Now he must do whatever it takes to save Elsira and it's people from the True Father and he needs Jasminda's Earthsong to do it. They escape their ruthless captors and together they embark on a perilous journey to save Elsira and to uncover the secrets of The Queen Who Sleeps.
Thrust into a hostile society, Jasminda and Jack must rely on one another even as secrets jeopardize their bond. As an ancient evil gains power, Jasminda races to unlock a mystery that promises salvation.
The fates of two nations hang in the balance as Jasminda and Jack must choose between love and duty to fulfill their destinies and end the war.
Review: I thought this book was pretty good. The beginning just grabbed my attention immediately and it held me for most of the book. The writing is gorgeous and the world building is fantastic.
However, this was more romance heavy than what I wanted it to be and the love story was too Taylor Swift song perfect and the plot felt like it didn't go anywhere after awhile.
Verdict: For the most part I felt this was a good book and definitely worth the read if you're into books like Kiss of Deception.
Author: L. Penelope
Book Series: Earthsinger Chronicles Book 1
Rating: 3/5
Publication Date: May 1, 2018
Recommended Age: 16+ (some violence, some gore, romance, duty, and love)
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Synopsis: A treacherous, thrilling, epic fantasy about an outcast drawn into a war between two powerful rulers.
Orphaned and alone, Jasminda lives in a land where cold whispers of invasion and war linger on the wind. Jasminda herself is an outcast in her homeland of Elsira, where her gift of Earthsong is feared. When ruthless soldiers seek refuge in her isolated cabin, they bring with them a captive--an injured spy who threatens to steal her heart.
Jack's mission behind enemy lines to prove that the Mantle between Elsira and Lagamiri is about to fall nearly cost him his life, but he is saved by the healing Song of a mysterious young woman. Now he must do whatever it takes to save Elsira and it's people from the True Father and he needs Jasminda's Earthsong to do it. They escape their ruthless captors and together they embark on a perilous journey to save Elsira and to uncover the secrets of The Queen Who Sleeps.
Thrust into a hostile society, Jasminda and Jack must rely on one another even as secrets jeopardize their bond. As an ancient evil gains power, Jasminda races to unlock a mystery that promises salvation.
The fates of two nations hang in the balance as Jasminda and Jack must choose between love and duty to fulfill their destinies and end the war.
Review: I thought this book was pretty good. The beginning just grabbed my attention immediately and it held me for most of the book. The writing is gorgeous and the world building is fantastic.
However, this was more romance heavy than what I wanted it to be and the love story was too Taylor Swift song perfect and the plot felt like it didn't go anywhere after awhile.
Verdict: For the most part I felt this was a good book and definitely worth the read if you're into books like Kiss of Deception.