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2.51k reviews by:
popthebutterfly
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Machine
Author: Elizabeth Bear
Book Series: White Space Book 2
Rating: 1/5
Recommended For...: sci-fi lovers
Publication Date: October 20, 2020
Genre: Sci-Fi
Recommended Age: can’t recommend, dnf-ed
Publisher: Gollancz
Pages: 512
Synopsis: Meet Doctor Jens.
She hasn't had a decent cup of coffee in fifteen years.
The first part of her job involves jumping out of perfectly good space-ships. The second part requires developing emergency treatments for sick aliens of species she's never seen before.
She loves it.
But her latest emergency is also proving a mystery:
Two ships, one ancient and one new, locked in a dangerous embrace.
A mysterious crew suffering from an even more mysterious ailment.
A shipmind trapped in an inadequate body, much of her memory pared away.
A murderous virus from out of time.
Unfortunately, Dr. Jens can't resist a mystery. Which is why she's about to discover that everything she's dedicated her life to . . . is a lie.
Review: DNFed at 15%. I didn't realize this was the second of a series and I want to read this from the beginning.
Verdict: Not for me but maybe for you.
Book: Machine
Author: Elizabeth Bear
Book Series: White Space Book 2
Rating: 1/5
Recommended For...: sci-fi lovers
Publication Date: October 20, 2020
Genre: Sci-Fi
Recommended Age: can’t recommend, dnf-ed
Publisher: Gollancz
Pages: 512
Synopsis: Meet Doctor Jens.
She hasn't had a decent cup of coffee in fifteen years.
The first part of her job involves jumping out of perfectly good space-ships. The second part requires developing emergency treatments for sick aliens of species she's never seen before.
She loves it.
But her latest emergency is also proving a mystery:
Two ships, one ancient and one new, locked in a dangerous embrace.
A mysterious crew suffering from an even more mysterious ailment.
A shipmind trapped in an inadequate body, much of her memory pared away.
A murderous virus from out of time.
Unfortunately, Dr. Jens can't resist a mystery. Which is why she's about to discover that everything she's dedicated her life to . . . is a lie.
Review: DNFed at 15%. I didn't realize this was the second of a series and I want to read this from the beginning.
Verdict: Not for me but maybe for you.
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Code For Love and Heartbreak
Author: Jillian Cantor
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommended For...: romance lovers, classic retellings
Publication Date: October 6, 2020
Genre: YA Contemporary
Recommended Age: 16+ (romance, slight sexual content)
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Pages: 304
Synopsis: Emma Woodhouse is a genius at math, but clueless about people. After all, people are unreliable. They let you down—just like Emma's sister, Izzy, did this year, when she moved to California for college. But numbers...those you can count on. (No pun intended.)
Emma's senior year is going to be all about numbers, and seeing how far they can take her. When she and George, her Coding Club co-president, are tasked with brainstorming a new project, The Code for Love is born—a matchmaking app that goes far beyond swiping, using algorithms to calculate compatibility. George disapproves of Emma's idea, accusing her of meddling in people's lives. But all the happy new couples at school are proof that the app works. At least at first.
Emma's code is flawless. So why is it that perfectly matched couples start breaking up, the wrong people keep falling for each other and her own feelings defy any algorithm? Emma thought math could solve everything. But there's nothing more complex—or unpredictable—than love.
Review: Overall, this was a good romance. It's a retelling thing of Emma by Jane Austen and the book does well to develop the characters and the romance. The story was also intriguing for me and it helped me get through the book.
However, I do feel like the book was a bit too slow paced and too predictable. The book also had a "meet in the middle" trope which I'm kinda bored of.
Verdict: It was cute but slow.
Book: The Code For Love and Heartbreak
Author: Jillian Cantor
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommended For...: romance lovers, classic retellings
Publication Date: October 6, 2020
Genre: YA Contemporary
Recommended Age: 16+ (romance, slight sexual content)
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Pages: 304
Synopsis: Emma Woodhouse is a genius at math, but clueless about people. After all, people are unreliable. They let you down—just like Emma's sister, Izzy, did this year, when she moved to California for college. But numbers...those you can count on. (No pun intended.)
Emma's senior year is going to be all about numbers, and seeing how far they can take her. When she and George, her Coding Club co-president, are tasked with brainstorming a new project, The Code for Love is born—a matchmaking app that goes far beyond swiping, using algorithms to calculate compatibility. George disapproves of Emma's idea, accusing her of meddling in people's lives. But all the happy new couples at school are proof that the app works. At least at first.
Emma's code is flawless. So why is it that perfectly matched couples start breaking up, the wrong people keep falling for each other and her own feelings defy any algorithm? Emma thought math could solve everything. But there's nothing more complex—or unpredictable—than love.
Review: Overall, this was a good romance. It's a retelling thing of Emma by Jane Austen and the book does well to develop the characters and the romance. The story was also intriguing for me and it helped me get through the book.
However, I do feel like the book was a bit too slow paced and too predictable. The book also had a "meet in the middle" trope which I'm kinda bored of.
Verdict: It was cute but slow.
Disclaimer: I received this arc and e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Forget This Ever Happened
Author: Cassandra Rose Clarke
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: Bisexual main character, latina lesbian main character
Recommended For...: thrillers, romance, sci-fi
Publication Date: October 6, 2020
Genre: YA Thriller
Recommended Age: 16+ (homophobia, gaslighting, guns, violence, cops shown sympathetically)
Publisher: Holiday House
Pages: 336
Synopsis: Sometimes there's a town called Indianola.
And sometimes there isn't.
Summer, 1993. Claire has been dumped in rural Indianola, Texas, to spend her whole vacation taking care of mean, sickly Grammy. There's nothing too remarkable about Indianola: it's run-down, shabby, and stifling hot, a pin-dot on the Gulf Coast.
Well, there is one remarkable thing, she discovers. Something otherworldly.
But if you leave Indianola, you forget about it... and if you stay, you have to live with it every day.
Because there's a confluence of energies at Indianola, a fissure in time and space, a gap in reality. Nothing is as it seems. And unless Claire can figure out this town--the talkative lizards under the pecan trees; the honey-sweet but terrifying girl next door; the cute daughter of a powerful family, who would answer Claire's questions if she had any answers; the pervasive sense of history coming unspooled, like a video tape--she might never leave.
Featuring a mindbending plot, heartfelt queer romance, brilliant writing, and intricate worldbuilding, Forget This Ever Happened is a lush and thrilling genre-bender perfect for the Black Mirror generation.
Review: Overall this was a good book. I like books that can mess with me a little psychologically and this one did a good job of that. The book did well to develop the characters and the plot.
However, I did have issues that some of the preferred terms (gay, lesbian, bisexual, etc) weren't used in the book and I thought that the book didn't do well the action scenes. It was all kinda muddy for me in a lot of the portions were most of the action occurs.
Verdict: It was pretty spooky!
Book: Forget This Ever Happened
Author: Cassandra Rose Clarke
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: Bisexual main character, latina lesbian main character
Recommended For...: thrillers, romance, sci-fi
Publication Date: October 6, 2020
Genre: YA Thriller
Recommended Age: 16+ (homophobia, gaslighting, guns, violence, cops shown sympathetically)
Publisher: Holiday House
Pages: 336
Synopsis: Sometimes there's a town called Indianola.
And sometimes there isn't.
Summer, 1993. Claire has been dumped in rural Indianola, Texas, to spend her whole vacation taking care of mean, sickly Grammy. There's nothing too remarkable about Indianola: it's run-down, shabby, and stifling hot, a pin-dot on the Gulf Coast.
Well, there is one remarkable thing, she discovers. Something otherworldly.
But if you leave Indianola, you forget about it... and if you stay, you have to live with it every day.
Because there's a confluence of energies at Indianola, a fissure in time and space, a gap in reality. Nothing is as it seems. And unless Claire can figure out this town--the talkative lizards under the pecan trees; the honey-sweet but terrifying girl next door; the cute daughter of a powerful family, who would answer Claire's questions if she had any answers; the pervasive sense of history coming unspooled, like a video tape--she might never leave.
Featuring a mindbending plot, heartfelt queer romance, brilliant writing, and intricate worldbuilding, Forget This Ever Happened is a lush and thrilling genre-bender perfect for the Black Mirror generation.
Review: Overall this was a good book. I like books that can mess with me a little psychologically and this one did a good job of that. The book did well to develop the characters and the plot.
However, I did have issues that some of the preferred terms (gay, lesbian, bisexual, etc) weren't used in the book and I thought that the book didn't do well the action scenes. It was all kinda muddy for me in a lot of the portions were most of the action occurs.
Verdict: It was pretty spooky!
Disclaimer: I received an e-book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Eleanor, Alice, & the Roosevelt Ghosts
Author: Dianne K. Salerni
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: mg fantasy, paranormal
Publication Date: August 25, 2020
Genre: MG Paranormal
Recommended Age: 10+ (some scary moments)
Publisher: Holiday House
Pages: 240
Synopsis: Murderous ghosts and buried family secrets threaten young Eleanor and Alice Roosevelt in this thrilling middle-grade novel that puts a supernatural spin on alternate history.
It's 1898 in New York City and ghosts exist among humans.
When an unusual spirit takes up residence at the Roosevelt house, thirteen-year-old Eleanor and fourteen-year-old Alice are suspicious. The cousins don't get along, but they know something is not right. This ghost is more than a pesky nuisance. The authorities claim he's safe to be around, even as his mischievous behavior grows stranger and more menacing. It's almost like he wants to scare the Roosevelts out of their home - and no one seems to care!
Meanwhile, Eleanor and Alice discover a dangerous ghost in the house where Alice was born and her mother died. Is someone else haunting the family? Introverted Eleanor and unruly Alice develop an unlikely friendship as they explore the family's dark, complicated history. It's up to them to destroy both ghosts and come to terms with their family's losses.
Told from alternating perspectives, thrills and chills abound in Dianne K. Salerni's imaginative novel about a legendary family and the ghosts that haunt their secrets.
Review: Overall this was a cute alternative history story. I love the use of ghosts and ghouls in this tell and overall the story is well crafted and the characters are well developed.
My only issue is that the action scenes aren't that well developed, they're a bit muddy, and the world building could have been a little better.
Verdict: I enjoyed this one!
Book: Eleanor, Alice, & the Roosevelt Ghosts
Author: Dianne K. Salerni
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: mg fantasy, paranormal
Publication Date: August 25, 2020
Genre: MG Paranormal
Recommended Age: 10+ (some scary moments)
Publisher: Holiday House
Pages: 240
Synopsis: Murderous ghosts and buried family secrets threaten young Eleanor and Alice Roosevelt in this thrilling middle-grade novel that puts a supernatural spin on alternate history.
It's 1898 in New York City and ghosts exist among humans.
When an unusual spirit takes up residence at the Roosevelt house, thirteen-year-old Eleanor and fourteen-year-old Alice are suspicious. The cousins don't get along, but they know something is not right. This ghost is more than a pesky nuisance. The authorities claim he's safe to be around, even as his mischievous behavior grows stranger and more menacing. It's almost like he wants to scare the Roosevelts out of their home - and no one seems to care!
Meanwhile, Eleanor and Alice discover a dangerous ghost in the house where Alice was born and her mother died. Is someone else haunting the family? Introverted Eleanor and unruly Alice develop an unlikely friendship as they explore the family's dark, complicated history. It's up to them to destroy both ghosts and come to terms with their family's losses.
Told from alternating perspectives, thrills and chills abound in Dianne K. Salerni's imaginative novel about a legendary family and the ghosts that haunt their secrets.
Review: Overall this was a cute alternative history story. I love the use of ghosts and ghouls in this tell and overall the story is well crafted and the characters are well developed.
My only issue is that the action scenes aren't that well developed, they're a bit muddy, and the world building could have been a little better.
Verdict: I enjoyed this one!
Disclaimer: I bought this book! Support your authors!
Book: Crown of Coral and Pearl
Author: Mara Rutherford
Book Series: Crown of Coral and Pearl Book 1
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: romance, cliché ya lovers, fantasy, arranged marriage plot
Publication Date: August 27, 2019
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 14+ (romance, slight violence and gore)
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Pages: 432
Synopsis: Nor once dreamed of seeing the wondrous wealth and beauty of Ilara, the kingdom that’s ruled her village for as long as anyone can remember. But when a childhood accident left her with a permanent scar, it became clear that her identical twin sister, Zadie, would likely be chosen to marry the Crown Prince—while Nor remained behind, unable to ever set foot on land.
Then Zadie is gravely injured, and Nor is sent to Ilara in her place. To Nor’s dismay, her future husband, Prince Ceren, is as forbidding and cold as his home—a castle carved into a mountain and devoid of sunlight. And as she grows closer to Ceren’s brother, the charming Prince Talin, Nor uncovers startling truths about a failing royal bloodline, a murdered queen… and a plot to destroy the home she was once so eager to leave.
In order to save her people, Nor must learn to negotiate the treacherous protocols of a court where lies reign and obsession rules. But discovering her own formidable strength may be the one move that costs her everything: the crown, Varenia and Zadie.
Review: For the most part I really liked this book. If you’re looking for arranged marriage fantasy books, then this is your book. The characters were well developed and the world building, though it took awhile to get to, was good as well.
However, I did feel like the book was very slow and the plot was very weak. The plot is very classic YA with love triangles and a girl who doesn’t think she’s beautiful who has to chose between them while the world goes to crap.
Verdict: It’s very cliché but it’s good.
Book: Crown of Coral and Pearl
Author: Mara Rutherford
Book Series: Crown of Coral and Pearl Book 1
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: romance, cliché ya lovers, fantasy, arranged marriage plot
Publication Date: August 27, 2019
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 14+ (romance, slight violence and gore)
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Pages: 432
Synopsis: Nor once dreamed of seeing the wondrous wealth and beauty of Ilara, the kingdom that’s ruled her village for as long as anyone can remember. But when a childhood accident left her with a permanent scar, it became clear that her identical twin sister, Zadie, would likely be chosen to marry the Crown Prince—while Nor remained behind, unable to ever set foot on land.
Then Zadie is gravely injured, and Nor is sent to Ilara in her place. To Nor’s dismay, her future husband, Prince Ceren, is as forbidding and cold as his home—a castle carved into a mountain and devoid of sunlight. And as she grows closer to Ceren’s brother, the charming Prince Talin, Nor uncovers startling truths about a failing royal bloodline, a murdered queen… and a plot to destroy the home she was once so eager to leave.
In order to save her people, Nor must learn to negotiate the treacherous protocols of a court where lies reign and obsession rules. But discovering her own formidable strength may be the one move that costs her everything: the crown, Varenia and Zadie.
Review: For the most part I really liked this book. If you’re looking for arranged marriage fantasy books, then this is your book. The characters were well developed and the world building, though it took awhile to get to, was good as well.
However, I did feel like the book was very slow and the plot was very weak. The plot is very classic YA with love triangles and a girl who doesn’t think she’s beautiful who has to chose between them while the world goes to crap.
Verdict: It’s very cliché but it’s good.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the author for Indie Blog Hop Tours. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: How To Make A Life
Author: Florence Reiss Kraut
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3.5/5
Diversity: Ukrainian characters
Recommended For...: historical fiction lovers
Publication Date: October 13, 2020
Genre: Historical Fiction
Recommended Age: 18+ (violence, gore, romance, sexual content, death)
Publisher: She Writes Press
Pages: 320
Synopsis: When Ida and her daughter Bessie flee a catastrophic pogrom in Ukraine for America in 1905, they believe their emigration will ensure that their children and grandchildren will be safe from harm. But choices and decisions made by one generation have ripple effects on those who come later—and in the decades that follow, family secrets, betrayals, and mistakes made in the name of love threaten the survival of the family: Bessie and Abe Weissman’s children struggle with the shattering effects of daughter Ruby’s mental illness, of Jenny’s love affair with her brother-in-law, of the disappearance of Ruby’s daughter as she flees her mother’s legacy, and of the accidental deaths of Irene’s husband and granddaughter.
A sweeping saga that follows three generations from the tenements of Brooklyn through WWII, from Woodstock to India, and from Spain to Israel, How to Make a Life is the story of a family who must learn to accept each other’s differences—or risk cutting ties with the very people who anchor their place in the world.
Review: For the most part, after chapter 1, the book is fairly good. The book does well to convey the plight of immigrants and their resiliency. I think a lot of people forget that their roots in this country only go back a few generations and that their family was doing the same as today’s immigrants are trying to do. The book did well to keep to historical facts and to blend them into the story as well. The characters were well developed and the world building was well done as well.
However, I do think that the opening chapter can dissuade people from reading the book. The book opens up and it’s a really violent scene. While this conveys the hopelessness and terror the characters feel, it can sometimes be a bit too much for some readers.
Verdict: It was good, just a bit gorey.
Book: How To Make A Life
Author: Florence Reiss Kraut
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3.5/5
Diversity: Ukrainian characters
Recommended For...: historical fiction lovers
Publication Date: October 13, 2020
Genre: Historical Fiction
Recommended Age: 18+ (violence, gore, romance, sexual content, death)
Publisher: She Writes Press
Pages: 320
Synopsis: When Ida and her daughter Bessie flee a catastrophic pogrom in Ukraine for America in 1905, they believe their emigration will ensure that their children and grandchildren will be safe from harm. But choices and decisions made by one generation have ripple effects on those who come later—and in the decades that follow, family secrets, betrayals, and mistakes made in the name of love threaten the survival of the family: Bessie and Abe Weissman’s children struggle with the shattering effects of daughter Ruby’s mental illness, of Jenny’s love affair with her brother-in-law, of the disappearance of Ruby’s daughter as she flees her mother’s legacy, and of the accidental deaths of Irene’s husband and granddaughter.
A sweeping saga that follows three generations from the tenements of Brooklyn through WWII, from Woodstock to India, and from Spain to Israel, How to Make a Life is the story of a family who must learn to accept each other’s differences—or risk cutting ties with the very people who anchor their place in the world.
Review: For the most part, after chapter 1, the book is fairly good. The book does well to convey the plight of immigrants and their resiliency. I think a lot of people forget that their roots in this country only go back a few generations and that their family was doing the same as today’s immigrants are trying to do. The book did well to keep to historical facts and to blend them into the story as well. The characters were well developed and the world building was well done as well.
However, I do think that the opening chapter can dissuade people from reading the book. The book opens up and it’s a really violent scene. While this conveys the hopelessness and terror the characters feel, it can sometimes be a bit too much for some readers.
Verdict: It was good, just a bit gorey.
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Black Sun
Author: Rebecca Roanhorse
Book Series: Between Earth and Sky Book 1
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Indigenous characters, mythology, and pre-Colombian world, blind character, trans/non binary characters and xe/xir pronouns used, bisexual characters and bi f/m relationship and f/nb pairing.
Recommended For...: fantasy, sci-fi, magic
Publication Date: October 13, 2020
Genre: Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, gore, romance)
Publisher: Saga Press
Pages: 464
Synopsis: In the holy city of Tova, the winter solstice is usually a time for celebration and renewal, but this year it coincides with a solar eclipse, a rare celestial event proscribed by the Sun Priest as an unbalancing of the world.
Meanwhile, a ship launches from a distant city bound for Tova and set to arrive on the solstice. The captain of the ship, Xiala, is a disgraced Teek whose song can calm the waters around her as easily as it can warp a man’s mind. Her ship carries one passenger. Described as harmless, the passenger, Serapio, is a young man, blind, scarred, and cloaked in destiny. As Xiala well knows, when a man is described as harmless, he usually ends up being a villain.
Review: I really loved this book! The world building and character development was absolutely masterful and the book plot was intriguing. The book was so well done and I loved that it’s a fantasy not steeped in European myth and culture. Honestly, we need more of those. The book also did well to include a lot of diversity. This is my second Roanhorse book and I am so in love with her writing.
The only thing I can fault the book for is that there are 4 storylines to keep straight and sometimes that can be confusing for some readers. The book also ends in a cliffhanger.
Verdict: A definite must read.
Book: Black Sun
Author: Rebecca Roanhorse
Book Series: Between Earth and Sky Book 1
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Indigenous characters, mythology, and pre-Colombian world, blind character, trans/non binary characters and xe/xir pronouns used, bisexual characters and bi f/m relationship and f/nb pairing.
Recommended For...: fantasy, sci-fi, magic
Publication Date: October 13, 2020
Genre: Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, gore, romance)
Publisher: Saga Press
Pages: 464
Synopsis: In the holy city of Tova, the winter solstice is usually a time for celebration and renewal, but this year it coincides with a solar eclipse, a rare celestial event proscribed by the Sun Priest as an unbalancing of the world.
Meanwhile, a ship launches from a distant city bound for Tova and set to arrive on the solstice. The captain of the ship, Xiala, is a disgraced Teek whose song can calm the waters around her as easily as it can warp a man’s mind. Her ship carries one passenger. Described as harmless, the passenger, Serapio, is a young man, blind, scarred, and cloaked in destiny. As Xiala well knows, when a man is described as harmless, he usually ends up being a villain.
Review: I really loved this book! The world building and character development was absolutely masterful and the book plot was intriguing. The book was so well done and I loved that it’s a fantasy not steeped in European myth and culture. Honestly, we need more of those. The book also did well to include a lot of diversity. This is my second Roanhorse book and I am so in love with her writing.
The only thing I can fault the book for is that there are 4 storylines to keep straight and sometimes that can be confusing for some readers. The book also ends in a cliffhanger.
Verdict: A definite must read.
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the author for Indie Blog Hop Book Tours. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Wolfish
Author: Matt Ward
Book Series: Wolfish Book 2
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: sci-fi, technology rebellion
Publication Date: September 28, 2020
Genre: Sci-Fi
Recommended Age: 18+ (violence, gore, death, politics)
Publisher: Myrmani Press
Pages: 277
Synopsis: His impossible hybrid rebellion crushed the immortal government. But then, his wife died, and his unborn son, both at the hands of his all-powerful father.
Now a cripple, Raek must rise once more to fulfill his wife’s dying wish: to unify the splintered species of humanity... Even the cyborgs and fallen immortals push for war, revenge, and the absolute decimation of the once subservient hybrids.
Unimaginable destruction amidst a veneer of peace, until a mysterious figure from Raek’s past emerges once more.
Overnight, Raek’s world is obliterated. Politics, power, betrayal… a new world order? There’s a war coming for humanity’s future, one with murder, massacre, and intrigue. An awful game, yet all that stands between tyranny and total destruction is a seventeen-year-old wolfish warrior with built-in blasters, and a dying promise he dare not break.
Welcome to 2097, the beginning of the end, or of something much greater. Only time will tell.
Review: For the most part I thought this was a good book. The book did well to mix action and politics and the characters are well developed. The book also did well with the world building and the plot was intriguing as well.
The only issue I had with the book is that the pacing is a bit wonky. It’s fast then slow, and then back to fast throughout the book.
Verdict: It was good.
Book: Wolfish
Author: Matt Ward
Book Series: Wolfish Book 2
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: sci-fi, technology rebellion
Publication Date: September 28, 2020
Genre: Sci-Fi
Recommended Age: 18+ (violence, gore, death, politics)
Publisher: Myrmani Press
Pages: 277
Synopsis: His impossible hybrid rebellion crushed the immortal government. But then, his wife died, and his unborn son, both at the hands of his all-powerful father.
Now a cripple, Raek must rise once more to fulfill his wife’s dying wish: to unify the splintered species of humanity... Even the cyborgs and fallen immortals push for war, revenge, and the absolute decimation of the once subservient hybrids.
Unimaginable destruction amidst a veneer of peace, until a mysterious figure from Raek’s past emerges once more.
Overnight, Raek’s world is obliterated. Politics, power, betrayal… a new world order? There’s a war coming for humanity’s future, one with murder, massacre, and intrigue. An awful game, yet all that stands between tyranny and total destruction is a seventeen-year-old wolfish warrior with built-in blasters, and a dying promise he dare not break.
Welcome to 2097, the beginning of the end, or of something much greater. Only time will tell.
Review: For the most part I thought this was a good book. The book did well to mix action and politics and the characters are well developed. The book also did well with the world building and the plot was intriguing as well.
The only issue I had with the book is that the pacing is a bit wonky. It’s fast then slow, and then back to fast throughout the book.
Verdict: It was good.
Disclaimer: I received this ebook from the author for Indie Blog Hop Tours. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Coming of Jack Walker
Author: Chrystal Lee Stevens
Book Series: Standalone?
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: boarding school books,
Publication Date: December 7, 2016
Genre: YA Paranormal
Recommended Age: 16+ (romance, violence, gore, kidnapping TW)
Publisher: Indie Published
Pages: 224
Synopsis: Jack Walker is a former bullied nerd whose life gets turned upside down when his girlfriend starts hanging out with the new mysterious guy who just moved into his hometown of Moorefield named Stefan. Then when Jack and his grandfather try to save Victoria from being kidnapped his grandfather gets injured and later dies. The last words his grandfather says to to him are, "If you ever want to see Victoria again you must get to Vladimir Island and find my old friend Cassandra."
After his grandfather's death Jack is left with his grandfather's journal, old steamer trunk and lots of unanswered questions. Jack reads his grandfather's journal full of yellowing brittle pages. He thinks that his grandfather's words in the journal can't possibly be true. But if not then how does he explain Victoria's disappearance. So he decides in order to discover the truth he needs to get to Vladimir Island. So Jack gets accepted to the exclusive private school Van Pyre High that is located there. In between classes Jack searches for Cassandra.
Once Jack finds Cassandra, she tells him that in order to get Victoria back he has to step into his grandfather's shoes and finish what he started with Stefan. Jack feels that he isn't up to the task and feels powerless that the fate of the human world might one day rest in his hands. That day is now. The Administration for Monster Studies, a monster observing organization that his grandfather co-founded, informs him that Stefan and the Bloody Blade are coming for the Sun Amulet, a mythical object that makes the owner all powerful and immune to sunlight, that is hidden somewhere on the island.
The only problem: Jack has no idea how to be a vampire hunter let alone save the world. Luckily he has all of the monstrous inhabitants of Vladimir Island to help him complete the task.
Review: Overall, this is a good mystery thriller paranormal book. The book has good world building and the characters are developed fairly well as well. The book did also did well with the pacing.
However, the book has a lot of problems. There is a lot going on in the book for it to be less than 300 pages and I don’t know if it’s just me because I’ve been stressed with work, but it was very hard to follow what all was going on. The book also had a weird plot and it was hard to keep reading the book. I think if the book was polished a bit more it would be a great novel.
Verdict: It’s pretty good, but not for me.
Book: The Coming of Jack Walker
Author: Chrystal Lee Stevens
Book Series: Standalone?
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: boarding school books,
Publication Date: December 7, 2016
Genre: YA Paranormal
Recommended Age: 16+ (romance, violence, gore, kidnapping TW)
Publisher: Indie Published
Pages: 224
Synopsis: Jack Walker is a former bullied nerd whose life gets turned upside down when his girlfriend starts hanging out with the new mysterious guy who just moved into his hometown of Moorefield named Stefan. Then when Jack and his grandfather try to save Victoria from being kidnapped his grandfather gets injured and later dies. The last words his grandfather says to to him are, "If you ever want to see Victoria again you must get to Vladimir Island and find my old friend Cassandra."
After his grandfather's death Jack is left with his grandfather's journal, old steamer trunk and lots of unanswered questions. Jack reads his grandfather's journal full of yellowing brittle pages. He thinks that his grandfather's words in the journal can't possibly be true. But if not then how does he explain Victoria's disappearance. So he decides in order to discover the truth he needs to get to Vladimir Island. So Jack gets accepted to the exclusive private school Van Pyre High that is located there. In between classes Jack searches for Cassandra.
Once Jack finds Cassandra, she tells him that in order to get Victoria back he has to step into his grandfather's shoes and finish what he started with Stefan. Jack feels that he isn't up to the task and feels powerless that the fate of the human world might one day rest in his hands. That day is now. The Administration for Monster Studies, a monster observing organization that his grandfather co-founded, informs him that Stefan and the Bloody Blade are coming for the Sun Amulet, a mythical object that makes the owner all powerful and immune to sunlight, that is hidden somewhere on the island.
The only problem: Jack has no idea how to be a vampire hunter let alone save the world. Luckily he has all of the monstrous inhabitants of Vladimir Island to help him complete the task.
Review: Overall, this is a good mystery thriller paranormal book. The book has good world building and the characters are developed fairly well as well. The book did also did well with the pacing.
However, the book has a lot of problems. There is a lot going on in the book for it to be less than 300 pages and I don’t know if it’s just me because I’ve been stressed with work, but it was very hard to follow what all was going on. The book also had a weird plot and it was hard to keep reading the book. I think if the book was polished a bit more it would be a great novel.
Verdict: It’s pretty good, but not for me.
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Kingdom of Sea and Stone
Author: Mara Rutherford
Book Series: Crown of Coral and Pearl Book 2
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: fantasy, political intrigue, romance
Publication Date: October 6, 2020
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (romance, slight violence and gore, war)
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Pages: 368
Synopsis: Ever since Nor was forced to go to a nearby kingdom in her sister’s place, she’s wanted nothing more than to return to the place and people she loves. But when her wish comes true, she soon finds herself cast out from both worlds, with a war on the horizon.
As an old enemy resurfaces more powerful than ever, Nor will have to keep the kingdom from falling apart with the help of Prince Talin and Nor’s twin sister, Zadie. There are forces within the world more mysterious than any of them ever guessed—and they’ll need to stay alive long enough to conquer them…
Review: Overall, this was an ok book. The book did well to keep the world building up and the book gave me a conclusion to this series, which I kinda wanted to know from the get go.
However, this book plot was more “will they? Won’t they?” than the stuff I cared about from the first book. The book went hardcore ya cliché in this one, which isn’t a bad thing but definitely isn’t for me. The characters, I feel, weren’t that well developed in this one from the first book, and the pacing was so so slow for me.
Verdict: It’s not for me, but it’s still a good duology.
Book: Kingdom of Sea and Stone
Author: Mara Rutherford
Book Series: Crown of Coral and Pearl Book 2
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: fantasy, political intrigue, romance
Publication Date: October 6, 2020
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (romance, slight violence and gore, war)
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Pages: 368
Synopsis: Ever since Nor was forced to go to a nearby kingdom in her sister’s place, she’s wanted nothing more than to return to the place and people she loves. But when her wish comes true, she soon finds herself cast out from both worlds, with a war on the horizon.
As an old enemy resurfaces more powerful than ever, Nor will have to keep the kingdom from falling apart with the help of Prince Talin and Nor’s twin sister, Zadie. There are forces within the world more mysterious than any of them ever guessed—and they’ll need to stay alive long enough to conquer them…
Review: Overall, this was an ok book. The book did well to keep the world building up and the book gave me a conclusion to this series, which I kinda wanted to know from the get go.
However, this book plot was more “will they? Won’t they?” than the stuff I cared about from the first book. The book went hardcore ya cliché in this one, which isn’t a bad thing but definitely isn’t for me. The characters, I feel, weren’t that well developed in this one from the first book, and the pacing was so so slow for me.
Verdict: It’s not for me, but it’s still a good duology.