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2.51k reviews by:
popthebutterfly
Disclaimer: I received this book from BookSparks. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Rating: 3.5/5
Publication Date: January 15, 2019
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 14+ (action, adventure, mystery, murder, romance, and masks)
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Pages: 464
Amazon Link
Synopsis: Set in a darkly glamorous world, The Gilded Wolves is full of mystery, decadence, and dangerous but thrilling adventure.
Paris, 1889: The world is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. In this city, no one keeps tabs on secrets better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier, Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. But when the all-powerful society, the Order of Babel, seeks him out for help, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.
To find the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Séverin will need help from a band of experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian who can't yet go home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in all but blood, who might care too much.
Together, they'll have to use their wits and knowledge to hunt the artifact through the dark and glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the world, but only if they can stay alive.
Review: I thought this was a pretty good book. I liked the characters for the most part and thought their dynamic was really good and I feel that they were really well developed. I liked the banter between them and I felt that the pacing was really even and fast. I feel that the writing was very easy to understand and the book will be a hit this year overall.
However, I do feel that this book needed more world building. There was a good amount sprinkled throughout the book, but I think it needed a chapter or two at the beginning to explain it a little more. But it is interesting and I enjoyed the uniqueness of it!
Verdict: A great six of crows style book and another hit for Chokshi!
Rating: 3.5/5
Publication Date: January 15, 2019
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 14+ (action, adventure, mystery, murder, romance, and masks)
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Pages: 464
Amazon Link
Synopsis: Set in a darkly glamorous world, The Gilded Wolves is full of mystery, decadence, and dangerous but thrilling adventure.
Paris, 1889: The world is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. In this city, no one keeps tabs on secrets better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier, Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. But when the all-powerful society, the Order of Babel, seeks him out for help, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.
To find the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Séverin will need help from a band of experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian who can't yet go home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in all but blood, who might care too much.
Together, they'll have to use their wits and knowledge to hunt the artifact through the dark and glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the world, but only if they can stay alive.
Review: I thought this was a pretty good book. I liked the characters for the most part and thought their dynamic was really good and I feel that they were really well developed. I liked the banter between them and I felt that the pacing was really even and fast. I feel that the writing was very easy to understand and the book will be a hit this year overall.
However, I do feel that this book needed more world building. There was a good amount sprinkled throughout the book, but I think it needed a chapter or two at the beginning to explain it a little more. But it is interesting and I enjoyed the uniqueness of it!
Verdict: A great six of crows style book and another hit for Chokshi!
Disclaimer: I received an e-arc of this book from netgalley. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Into The Crooked Place
Author: Alexandra Christo
Book Series: Into The Crooked Place Book 1
Rating: 1/5
Publication Date: October 8, 2019
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: can’t recommend, DNF
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Pages: 384
Amazon Link
Synopsis: Into the Crooked Place begins a gritty two-book YA fantasy series from Alexandra Christo, the author of To Kill a Kingdom.
The streets of Creije are for the deadly and the dreamers, and four crooks in particular know just how much magic they need up their sleeve to survive.
Tavia, a busker ready to pack up her dark-magic wares and turn her back on Creije for good. She’ll do anything to put her crimes behind her.
Wesley, the closest thing Creije has to a gangster. After growing up on streets hungry enough to swallow the weak whole, he won’t stop until he has brought the entire realm to kneel before him.
Karam, a warrior who spends her days watching over the city’s worst criminals and her nights in the fighting rings, making a deadly name for herself.
And Saxony, a resistance fighter hiding from the very people who destroyed her family, and willing to do whatever it takes to get her revenge.
Everything in their lives is going to plan, until Tavia makes a crucial mistake: she delivers a vial of dark magic—a weapon she didn’t know she had—to someone she cares about, sparking the greatest conflict in decades. Now these four magical outsiders must come together to save their home and the world, before it’s too late. But with enemies at all sides, they can trust nobody. Least of all each other.
Review: This was yet another book I had to DNF and this one hurt because I really do love Alexandra Christo, but this book wasn’t for me. The book was really clunky and hard to follow, the gangster trope is so overused. The magic wasn’t explained properly and the time skips were confusing. The book is also multiple POV and I don’t know why it is. The book would have been better under just one POV in my opinion. The book is also full of uneventful and painfully slow moments. I made it about 32% through before I tossed it.
Verdict: Not for me.
Book: Into The Crooked Place
Author: Alexandra Christo
Book Series: Into The Crooked Place Book 1
Rating: 1/5
Publication Date: October 8, 2019
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: can’t recommend, DNF
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Pages: 384
Amazon Link
Synopsis: Into the Crooked Place begins a gritty two-book YA fantasy series from Alexandra Christo, the author of To Kill a Kingdom.
The streets of Creije are for the deadly and the dreamers, and four crooks in particular know just how much magic they need up their sleeve to survive.
Tavia, a busker ready to pack up her dark-magic wares and turn her back on Creije for good. She’ll do anything to put her crimes behind her.
Wesley, the closest thing Creije has to a gangster. After growing up on streets hungry enough to swallow the weak whole, he won’t stop until he has brought the entire realm to kneel before him.
Karam, a warrior who spends her days watching over the city’s worst criminals and her nights in the fighting rings, making a deadly name for herself.
And Saxony, a resistance fighter hiding from the very people who destroyed her family, and willing to do whatever it takes to get her revenge.
Everything in their lives is going to plan, until Tavia makes a crucial mistake: she delivers a vial of dark magic—a weapon she didn’t know she had—to someone she cares about, sparking the greatest conflict in decades. Now these four magical outsiders must come together to save their home and the world, before it’s too late. But with enemies at all sides, they can trust nobody. Least of all each other.
Review: This was yet another book I had to DNF and this one hurt because I really do love Alexandra Christo, but this book wasn’t for me. The book was really clunky and hard to follow, the gangster trope is so overused. The magic wasn’t explained properly and the time skips were confusing. The book is also multiple POV and I don’t know why it is. The book would have been better under just one POV in my opinion. The book is also full of uneventful and painfully slow moments. I made it about 32% through before I tossed it.
Verdict: Not for me.
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher for Rockstar Book Tours. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Inheritance Games
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Book Series: The Inheritance Games Book 1
Rating: 3/5
Diversity: biracial side character, f/f romance mentioned
Recommended For...: mystery, thriller, Little Orphan Annie trope
Publication Date: September 1, 2020
Genre: YA Mystery
Recommended Age: 16+ (domestic abuse TW, jailbait comment to underage MC TW, homelessness, poverty, rich snobs, murder, drunk driving, romance)
Publisher: Little, Brown for Young Readers
Pages: 384
Synopsis: Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why--or even who Tobias Hawthorne is. To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man's touch--and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes.
Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day, they would inherit billions. Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a con-woman, and he's determined to take her down. His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather's last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege, with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive.
Review: For the most part this was a well done book. The book did well to weave an interesting mystery and the plot really kept me hooked on this story from beginning to end. The characters were well developed as well.
However, I thought that the book was a bit broken up. The pacing was wonky and the plot went from finding out about the mystery to hanging out and back and forth. It was kinda weird how the main character dealt with everything and I was also not a fan of the love triangle nor the incest jokes.
Verdict: It was good, just kinda weirdly wrote.
Book: The Inheritance Games
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Book Series: The Inheritance Games Book 1
Rating: 3/5
Diversity: biracial side character, f/f romance mentioned
Recommended For...: mystery, thriller, Little Orphan Annie trope
Publication Date: September 1, 2020
Genre: YA Mystery
Recommended Age: 16+ (domestic abuse TW, jailbait comment to underage MC TW, homelessness, poverty, rich snobs, murder, drunk driving, romance)
Publisher: Little, Brown for Young Readers
Pages: 384
Synopsis: Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why--or even who Tobias Hawthorne is. To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man's touch--and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes.
Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day, they would inherit billions. Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a con-woman, and he's determined to take her down. His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather's last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege, with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive.
Review: For the most part this was a well done book. The book did well to weave an interesting mystery and the plot really kept me hooked on this story from beginning to end. The characters were well developed as well.
However, I thought that the book was a bit broken up. The pacing was wonky and the plot went from finding out about the mystery to hanging out and back and forth. It was kinda weird how the main character dealt with everything and I was also not a fan of the love triangle nor the incest jokes.
Verdict: It was good, just kinda weirdly wrote.
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Traitor: A Novel of World War II
Author: Amanda McCrina
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 2/5
Recommended For...: historical fiction, war novels
Publication Date: August 25, 2020
Genre: YA Historical Fiction
Recommended Age: can’t recommend, dnf-ed
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux
Pages: 368
Synopsis: Poland, 1944. After the Soviet liberation of Lwów from Germany, the city remains a battleground between resistance fighters and insurgent armies, its loyalties torn between Poland and Ukraine. Seventeen-year-old Tolya Korolenko is half Ukrainian, half Polish, and he joined the Soviet Red Army to keep himself alive and fed. When he not-quite-accidentally shoots his unit's political officer in the street, he's rescued by a squad of Ukrainian freedom fighters. They might have saved him, but Tolya doesn't trust them. He especially doesn't trust Solovey, the squad's war-scarred young leader, who has plenty of secrets of his own.
Then a betrayal sends them both on the run. And in a city where loyalty comes second to self-preservation, a traitor can be an enemy or a savior—or sometimes both.
Review: Overall, this was a good book but I had to DNF it at 34%. The book was action packed and could be a great read. The book is also very historical, but there were so many characters that didn’t seem to be important to the plot at all and the descriptions really made the slow pacing feel much slower. The book also confused me a bit while reading it.
Verdict: Not for me, but maybe for you!
Book: Traitor: A Novel of World War II
Author: Amanda McCrina
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 2/5
Recommended For...: historical fiction, war novels
Publication Date: August 25, 2020
Genre: YA Historical Fiction
Recommended Age: can’t recommend, dnf-ed
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux
Pages: 368
Synopsis: Poland, 1944. After the Soviet liberation of Lwów from Germany, the city remains a battleground between resistance fighters and insurgent armies, its loyalties torn between Poland and Ukraine. Seventeen-year-old Tolya Korolenko is half Ukrainian, half Polish, and he joined the Soviet Red Army to keep himself alive and fed. When he not-quite-accidentally shoots his unit's political officer in the street, he's rescued by a squad of Ukrainian freedom fighters. They might have saved him, but Tolya doesn't trust them. He especially doesn't trust Solovey, the squad's war-scarred young leader, who has plenty of secrets of his own.
Then a betrayal sends them both on the run. And in a city where loyalty comes second to self-preservation, a traitor can be an enemy or a savior—or sometimes both.
Review: Overall, this was a good book but I had to DNF it at 34%. The book was action packed and could be a great read. The book is also very historical, but there were so many characters that didn’t seem to be important to the plot at all and the descriptions really made the slow pacing feel much slower. The book also confused me a bit while reading it.
Verdict: Not for me, but maybe for you!
Disclaimer: I bought this book but also received a paperback copy from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Ruin of Kings
Author: Jenn Lyons
Book Series: A Chorus of Dragons Book 1
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommended For...: epic high fantasies, dragons
Publication Date: February 5, 2019
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, gore, language, magic)
Publisher: Tor Books
Pages: 560
Synopsis: Kihrin is a bastard orphan who grew up on storybook tales of long-lost princes and grand quests. When he is claimed against his will as the long-lost son of a treasonous prince, Kihrin finds that being a long-lost prince isn't what the storybooks promised.
Far from living the dream, Kihrin finds himself practically a prisoner, at the mercy of his new family's power plays and ambitions. He also discovers that the storybooks have lied about a lot of other things too: dragons, demons, gods, prophecies, true love, and how the hero always wins.
Then again, maybe he's not the hero, for Kihrin is not destined to save the empire.
He's destined to destroy it.
Review: I really liked this book! The book and whole series are huge, so it’s perfect for tome toppers. The world building is complex, albeit a bit confusing in most parts. The characters are wonderfully well developed and the pacing is amazing. The plot is also super interesting!
The only really issues I had was that the writing was a bit weird and it took a bit to get into the novel.
Verdict: Highly suggest for epic fantasies!
Book: The Ruin of Kings
Author: Jenn Lyons
Book Series: A Chorus of Dragons Book 1
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommended For...: epic high fantasies, dragons
Publication Date: February 5, 2019
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, gore, language, magic)
Publisher: Tor Books
Pages: 560
Synopsis: Kihrin is a bastard orphan who grew up on storybook tales of long-lost princes and grand quests. When he is claimed against his will as the long-lost son of a treasonous prince, Kihrin finds that being a long-lost prince isn't what the storybooks promised.
Far from living the dream, Kihrin finds himself practically a prisoner, at the mercy of his new family's power plays and ambitions. He also discovers that the storybooks have lied about a lot of other things too: dragons, demons, gods, prophecies, true love, and how the hero always wins.
Then again, maybe he's not the hero, for Kihrin is not destined to save the empire.
He's destined to destroy it.
Review: I really liked this book! The book and whole series are huge, so it’s perfect for tome toppers. The world building is complex, albeit a bit confusing in most parts. The characters are wonderfully well developed and the pacing is amazing. The plot is also super interesting!
The only really issues I had was that the writing was a bit weird and it took a bit to get into the novel.
Verdict: Highly suggest for epic fantasies!
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Name of All Things
Author: Jenn Lyons
Book Series: A Chorus of Dragons Book 2
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: epic high fantasy, war, rebellion
Publication Date: October 29, 2019
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, gore, magic, dragons, big book and it will hurt your wrist)
Publisher: Tor Teen
Pages: 589
Synopsis: You can have everything you want if you sacrifice everything you believe.
Kihrin D'Mon is a wanted man.
Since he destroyed the Stone of Shackles and set demons free across Quur, he has been on the run from the wrath of an entire empire. His attempt to escape brings him into the path of Janel Theranon, a mysterious Joratese woman who claims to know Kihrin.
Janel's plea for help pits Kihrin against all manner of dangers: a secret rebellion, a dragon capable of destroying an entire city, and Kihrin's old enemy, the wizard Relos Var.
Janel believes that Relos Var possesses one of the most powerful artifacts in the world―the Cornerstone called the Name of All Things. And if Janel is right, then there may be nothing in the world that can stop Relos Var from getting what he wants.
And what he wants is Kihrin D'Mon.
Review: I really liked this book much more than the first book. The book is much more straightforward and easy to follow along. The book’s pacing is still amazing and the plot, again, kept me hooked from beginning to end. The character development and world building are also marvelous in this book.
The only real downside of this book is that the two characters that the book really focuses on are characters that aren’t that well developed in the first book and that the first book doesn’t really make you want to know more about them. However, that changes with this book.
Verdict: The story continues!
Book: The Name of All Things
Author: Jenn Lyons
Book Series: A Chorus of Dragons Book 2
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: epic high fantasy, war, rebellion
Publication Date: October 29, 2019
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, gore, magic, dragons, big book and it will hurt your wrist)
Publisher: Tor Teen
Pages: 589
Synopsis: You can have everything you want if you sacrifice everything you believe.
Kihrin D'Mon is a wanted man.
Since he destroyed the Stone of Shackles and set demons free across Quur, he has been on the run from the wrath of an entire empire. His attempt to escape brings him into the path of Janel Theranon, a mysterious Joratese woman who claims to know Kihrin.
Janel's plea for help pits Kihrin against all manner of dangers: a secret rebellion, a dragon capable of destroying an entire city, and Kihrin's old enemy, the wizard Relos Var.
Janel believes that Relos Var possesses one of the most powerful artifacts in the world―the Cornerstone called the Name of All Things. And if Janel is right, then there may be nothing in the world that can stop Relos Var from getting what he wants.
And what he wants is Kihrin D'Mon.
Review: I really liked this book much more than the first book. The book is much more straightforward and easy to follow along. The book’s pacing is still amazing and the plot, again, kept me hooked from beginning to end. The character development and world building are also marvelous in this book.
The only real downside of this book is that the two characters that the book really focuses on are characters that aren’t that well developed in the first book and that the first book doesn’t really make you want to know more about them. However, that changes with this book.
Verdict: The story continues!
Disclaimer: I received the e-arc and a finished hardcopy of this book. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Memory of Souls
Author: Jenn Lyons
Book Series: A Chorus of Dragons
Rating: 5/5
Recommended For...: epic high fantasy, magic
Publication Date: August 25, 2020
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, gore, murder, the end of the world)
Publisher: TorTeen
Pages: 608
Synopsis: Now that the city of Atrine has been destroyed and Relos Var's plan to free the dark god Vol Karoth has been revealed—the end of the world is closer than ever.
To buy time for humanity, Kihrin, Janel, and Thurvishar must convince the king of the Manol vané to perform an ancient ritual that will strip the vané of their immortality—a ritual that certain vané will do anything to prevent. Including assassinating the ones bringing the news.
Worse, Kihrin must come to terms with the horrifying possibility that his connection to Vol Karoth is steadily growing in strength. How can Kihrin hope to save anyone when he might turn out to be the greatest threat of them all?
Review: This series is so good! I loved the writing and voice in this book and you can definitely tell that the author improved as the series went on. This book is a fantastic conclusion to the series. The characters are well developed, the ending wraps up nicely, the pacing is still on key, and the plot is interesting and intriguing.
The only issues I had with the book is that the world building was a bit less in this book and that you will need to read books 1 and 2 before you dive into this one. It relies on recent memory and knowledge of books 1 and 2.
Verdict: A fantastic series!
Book: The Memory of Souls
Author: Jenn Lyons
Book Series: A Chorus of Dragons
Rating: 5/5
Recommended For...: epic high fantasy, magic
Publication Date: August 25, 2020
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, gore, murder, the end of the world)
Publisher: TorTeen
Pages: 608
Synopsis: Now that the city of Atrine has been destroyed and Relos Var's plan to free the dark god Vol Karoth has been revealed—the end of the world is closer than ever.
To buy time for humanity, Kihrin, Janel, and Thurvishar must convince the king of the Manol vané to perform an ancient ritual that will strip the vané of their immortality—a ritual that certain vané will do anything to prevent. Including assassinating the ones bringing the news.
Worse, Kihrin must come to terms with the horrifying possibility that his connection to Vol Karoth is steadily growing in strength. How can Kihrin hope to save anyone when he might turn out to be the greatest threat of them all?
Review: This series is so good! I loved the writing and voice in this book and you can definitely tell that the author improved as the series went on. This book is a fantastic conclusion to the series. The characters are well developed, the ending wraps up nicely, the pacing is still on key, and the plot is interesting and intriguing.
The only issues I had with the book is that the world building was a bit less in this book and that you will need to read books 1 and 2 before you dive into this one. It relies on recent memory and knowledge of books 1 and 2.
Verdict: A fantastic series!
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher for Rockstar Book Tours. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: None Shall Sleep
Author: Ellie Marney
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: thriller, mystery, horror
Publication Date: September 1, 2020
Genre: YA Thriller
Recommended Age: 17+ (murder, gore, violence, sexual content, sexual abuse/assault mentioned and referenced to)
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 400
Synopsis: In 1982, two teenagers—serial killer survivor Emma Lewis and US Marshal candidate Travis Bell—are recruited by the FBI to interview convicted juvenile killers and provide insight and advice on cold cases. From the start, Emma and Travis develop a quick friendship, gaining information from juvenile murderers that even the FBI can't crack. But when the team is called in to give advice on an active case—a serial killer who exclusively hunts teenagers—things begin to unravel. Working against the clock, they must turn to one of the country's most notorious incarcerated murderers for help: teenage sociopath Simon Gutmunsson. Despite Travis's objections, Emma becomes the conduit between Simon and the FBI team. But while Simon seems to be giving them the information they need to save lives, he's an expert manipulator playing a very long game...and he has his sights set on Emma.
Captivating, harrowing, and chilling, None Shall Sleep is an all-too-timely exploration of not only the monsters that live among us, but also the monsters that live inside us.
Review: This was a well done book for the most part. I liked the pacing of it and I thought the book did well to craft a creepy mood around it. The world building was amazing and I really liked the concept of it and the plot.
However, the MCs were not developed and their backstories weren’t ever really explained. I would have really liked to have known about the more beyond the cliffnotes that the book provides. The book also feels like an older than YA book rather than YA book. The writing was kinda weird and the book is a bit unrealistic, but overall fascinating from a psychological standpoint.
Verdict: Well done thriller!
Book: None Shall Sleep
Author: Ellie Marney
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: thriller, mystery, horror
Publication Date: September 1, 2020
Genre: YA Thriller
Recommended Age: 17+ (murder, gore, violence, sexual content, sexual abuse/assault mentioned and referenced to)
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 400
Synopsis: In 1982, two teenagers—serial killer survivor Emma Lewis and US Marshal candidate Travis Bell—are recruited by the FBI to interview convicted juvenile killers and provide insight and advice on cold cases. From the start, Emma and Travis develop a quick friendship, gaining information from juvenile murderers that even the FBI can't crack. But when the team is called in to give advice on an active case—a serial killer who exclusively hunts teenagers—things begin to unravel. Working against the clock, they must turn to one of the country's most notorious incarcerated murderers for help: teenage sociopath Simon Gutmunsson. Despite Travis's objections, Emma becomes the conduit between Simon and the FBI team. But while Simon seems to be giving them the information they need to save lives, he's an expert manipulator playing a very long game...and he has his sights set on Emma.
Captivating, harrowing, and chilling, None Shall Sleep is an all-too-timely exploration of not only the monsters that live among us, but also the monsters that live inside us.
Review: This was a well done book for the most part. I liked the pacing of it and I thought the book did well to craft a creepy mood around it. The world building was amazing and I really liked the concept of it and the plot.
However, the MCs were not developed and their backstories weren’t ever really explained. I would have really liked to have known about the more beyond the cliffnotes that the book provides. The book also feels like an older than YA book rather than YA book. The writing was kinda weird and the book is a bit unrealistic, but overall fascinating from a psychological standpoint.
Verdict: Well done thriller!
Disclaimer: I received this book from Smith Publicity. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Comanche
Author: Brett Riley
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 1/5
Recommended For...: murder mystery, horror fans
Publication Date: September 1, 2020
Genre: Mystery Horror
Recommended Age: can’t recommend, dnf-ed
Publisher: Imbrifex Books
Pages: 337
Synopsis: In 1887 near the tiny Texas town of Comanche, a posse finally ends the murderous career of The Piney Woods Kid in a hail of bullets. Still in the grip of blood-lust, the vigilantes hack the Kid’s corpse to bits in the dead house behind the train depot. The people of Comanche rejoice. Justice has been done. A long bloody chapter in the town’s history is over.
The year is now 2016. Comanche police are stymied by a double murder at the train depot. Witnesses swear the killer was dressed like an old-time gunslinger. Rumors fly that it’s the ghost of The Piney Woods Kid, back to wreak revenge on the descendants of the vigilantes who killed him.
Help arrives in the form of a team of investigators from New Orleans. Shunned by the local community and haunted by their own pasts, they’re nonetheless determined to unravel the mystery. They follow the evidence and soon find themselves in the crosshairs of the killer.
Review: DNFed at 60%. The book is a bit monotonous and doesn't really live up to the synopsis. There's very little paranormal activity in this book and the book just kinda bored me overall.
Verdict: Not for me but maybe for you!
Book: Comanche
Author: Brett Riley
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 1/5
Recommended For...: murder mystery, horror fans
Publication Date: September 1, 2020
Genre: Mystery Horror
Recommended Age: can’t recommend, dnf-ed
Publisher: Imbrifex Books
Pages: 337
Synopsis: In 1887 near the tiny Texas town of Comanche, a posse finally ends the murderous career of The Piney Woods Kid in a hail of bullets. Still in the grip of blood-lust, the vigilantes hack the Kid’s corpse to bits in the dead house behind the train depot. The people of Comanche rejoice. Justice has been done. A long bloody chapter in the town’s history is over.
The year is now 2016. Comanche police are stymied by a double murder at the train depot. Witnesses swear the killer was dressed like an old-time gunslinger. Rumors fly that it’s the ghost of The Piney Woods Kid, back to wreak revenge on the descendants of the vigilantes who killed him.
Help arrives in the form of a team of investigators from New Orleans. Shunned by the local community and haunted by their own pasts, they’re nonetheless determined to unravel the mystery. They follow the evidence and soon find themselves in the crosshairs of the killer.
Review: DNFed at 60%. The book is a bit monotonous and doesn't really live up to the synopsis. There's very little paranormal activity in this book and the book just kinda bored me overall.
Verdict: Not for me but maybe for you!
Disclaimer: I received this ebook from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Gypsies, Tramps, and Weeia
Author: Elle Boca
Book Series: The Weeia Marshals Book 1
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: paranormal, mystery
Publication Date: February 1, 2016
Genre: Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (death, violence, slight gore, slight romance)
Publisher: Poyeen Publishing
Pages: 262
Synopsis: Sworn to protect the secrets of their race, marshals are trained to police Weeia hiding among humans. After completing her advanced marshal training, Danni is blown away by her new plum assignment to Paris. But, all is not well in the City of Lights; the offices are a shambles, her boss is apathetic, and her predecessors died under mysterious circumstances; it’s almost like somebody doesn’t want the law there. Despite that she risks her life in the seedy underworld of gypsies and tramps to search for a missing Weeia man.
Review: Overall, this was a well done book. The book was well written and the plot was intriguing. The characters were well developed and the world building was fantastic.
However, if you've not previously been exposed to the Weeia world this book will be very confusing to you at first but it does good to explain everything to you. The pacing is also a bit slow in spots.
Verdict: It was good!
Book: Gypsies, Tramps, and Weeia
Author: Elle Boca
Book Series: The Weeia Marshals Book 1
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: paranormal, mystery
Publication Date: February 1, 2016
Genre: Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (death, violence, slight gore, slight romance)
Publisher: Poyeen Publishing
Pages: 262
Synopsis: Sworn to protect the secrets of their race, marshals are trained to police Weeia hiding among humans. After completing her advanced marshal training, Danni is blown away by her new plum assignment to Paris. But, all is not well in the City of Lights; the offices are a shambles, her boss is apathetic, and her predecessors died under mysterious circumstances; it’s almost like somebody doesn’t want the law there. Despite that she risks her life in the seedy underworld of gypsies and tramps to search for a missing Weeia man.
Review: Overall, this was a well done book. The book was well written and the plot was intriguing. The characters were well developed and the world building was fantastic.
However, if you've not previously been exposed to the Weeia world this book will be very confusing to you at first but it does good to explain everything to you. The pacing is also a bit slow in spots.
Verdict: It was good!