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2.51k reviews by:
popthebutterfly
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Blue Witch
Author: Alane Adams
Book Series: The Witches of Orkney Book 1
Rating: 5/5
Recommended For...: witches, paranormal, childrens books, magic
Publication Date: October 23, 2018
Genre: MG Fantasy
Recommended Age: 10+ (some scary moments)
Publisher: SparkPress
Pages: 216
Synopsis: Before Sam Baron broke Odin's curse on the witches to become the first son born to a witch and the hero of the Legends of Orkney series, his mother was a young witchling growing up in the Tarkana Witch Academy. In this first book of the prequel series, the Witches of Orkney, nine-year-old Abigail Tarkana is determined to grow up to be the greatest witch of all, even greater than her evil ancestor Catriona. Unfortunately, she is about to fail Spectacular Spells class because her witch magic hasn't come in yet. Even worse, her nemesis, Endera, is making life miserable by trying to get her kicked out.
When her new friend Hugo's life is put in danger by a stampeding sneevil, a desperate Abigail manages to call up her magic―only to find out it's unlike any other witchling's at the Tarkana Witch Academy! As mysteries deepen around her magic and just who her true parents are, Abigail becomes trapped in a race against time to undo one of her spells before she is kicked out of the coven forever!
Review: This was a cute and fast read! I loved the story and friendship storyline. I loved the character development and the world building was well done as well. The Norse mythology included in this book also gave the book a fresh, new feel to it and separates it a little from other magical school books.
The only fault I have is that I think the book relies on the reader to fill in some of the holes and I don’t know if a younger reader, like this book is suited for, can do that.
Verdict: It’s well done and a great Halloween read for younger kids!
Book: The Blue Witch
Author: Alane Adams
Book Series: The Witches of Orkney Book 1
Rating: 5/5
Recommended For...: witches, paranormal, childrens books, magic
Publication Date: October 23, 2018
Genre: MG Fantasy
Recommended Age: 10+ (some scary moments)
Publisher: SparkPress
Pages: 216
Synopsis: Before Sam Baron broke Odin's curse on the witches to become the first son born to a witch and the hero of the Legends of Orkney series, his mother was a young witchling growing up in the Tarkana Witch Academy. In this first book of the prequel series, the Witches of Orkney, nine-year-old Abigail Tarkana is determined to grow up to be the greatest witch of all, even greater than her evil ancestor Catriona. Unfortunately, she is about to fail Spectacular Spells class because her witch magic hasn't come in yet. Even worse, her nemesis, Endera, is making life miserable by trying to get her kicked out.
When her new friend Hugo's life is put in danger by a stampeding sneevil, a desperate Abigail manages to call up her magic―only to find out it's unlike any other witchling's at the Tarkana Witch Academy! As mysteries deepen around her magic and just who her true parents are, Abigail becomes trapped in a race against time to undo one of her spells before she is kicked out of the coven forever!
Review: This was a cute and fast read! I loved the story and friendship storyline. I loved the character development and the world building was well done as well. The Norse mythology included in this book also gave the book a fresh, new feel to it and separates it a little from other magical school books.
The only fault I have is that I think the book relies on the reader to fill in some of the holes and I don’t know if a younger reader, like this book is suited for, can do that.
Verdict: It’s well done and a great Halloween read for younger kids!
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Rubicus Prophecy
Author: Alane Adams
Book Series: The Witches of Orkney Book 2
Rating: 5/5
Recommended For...: witches, paranormal, childrens books, magic
Publication Date: October 15, 2019
Genre: MG Fantasy
Recommended Age: 10+ (some scary moments)
Publisher: SparkPress
Pages: 216
Synopsis: Abigail has just started her second year at the Tarkana Witch Academy and is already up to her ears studying for Horrid Hexes and Awful Alchemy! Worse, Endera’s malevolent spellbook has its hooks in her, whispering in her ear to use its dark magic. Meanwhile, the entire school is talking about the Rubicus Prophecy; a sign has arrived that the chosen witchling is among them, the one who will one day break Odin’s curse over them. When an Orkadian warship arrives carrying troubling news, Abigail and her friend Hugo are swept into a new mystery after a young boy from the ship, Robert Barconian, asks for their help retrieving a missing item.
Along with the former glitch-witch, Calla, the four friends end up deep in the catacombs beneath the Tarkana Fortress—a place where the draugar, the living dead, wander about. Abigail discovers there is more to the Rubicus Prophecy than anyone ever imagined. Can she stop it in time before she and her friends are destroyed?
Review: Again, another cute and fast and fun read! The book does great to continue the character development and to keep the reader intrigued with the characters and their problems. The book also did well with the world building and the plot was so interesting as well.
The only issue I had was that the pacing was a bit slower in this one.
Verdict: It’s well done and a great Halloween read for younger kids!
Book: The Rubicus Prophecy
Author: Alane Adams
Book Series: The Witches of Orkney Book 2
Rating: 5/5
Recommended For...: witches, paranormal, childrens books, magic
Publication Date: October 15, 2019
Genre: MG Fantasy
Recommended Age: 10+ (some scary moments)
Publisher: SparkPress
Pages: 216
Synopsis: Abigail has just started her second year at the Tarkana Witch Academy and is already up to her ears studying for Horrid Hexes and Awful Alchemy! Worse, Endera’s malevolent spellbook has its hooks in her, whispering in her ear to use its dark magic. Meanwhile, the entire school is talking about the Rubicus Prophecy; a sign has arrived that the chosen witchling is among them, the one who will one day break Odin’s curse over them. When an Orkadian warship arrives carrying troubling news, Abigail and her friend Hugo are swept into a new mystery after a young boy from the ship, Robert Barconian, asks for their help retrieving a missing item.
Along with the former glitch-witch, Calla, the four friends end up deep in the catacombs beneath the Tarkana Fortress—a place where the draugar, the living dead, wander about. Abigail discovers there is more to the Rubicus Prophecy than anyone ever imagined. Can she stop it in time before she and her friends are destroyed?
Review: Again, another cute and fast and fun read! The book does great to continue the character development and to keep the reader intrigued with the characters and their problems. The book also did well with the world building and the plot was so interesting as well.
The only issue I had was that the pacing was a bit slower in this one.
Verdict: It’s well done and a great Halloween read for younger kids!
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Witch Wars
Author: Alane Adams
Book Series: The Witches of Orkney Book 3
Rating: 5/5
Recommended For...: witches, paranormal, childrens books, magic
Publication Date: October 13, 2020
Genre: MG Fantasy
Recommended Age: 10+ (some scary moments)
Publisher: SparkPress
Pages: 208
Synopsis: Abigail’s second year at the Tarkana Academy has been an all-out disaster. She’s just unwittingly helped Vertulious, an ancient he-witch and powerful alchemist, destroy Odin’s Stone and restore his powers, and now all of Orkney is caught up in the threat of war as the witches prepare to destroy the helpless Orkadians. Determined to set things right, Abigail and Hugo set off for Jotunheim, the land of the giants, to find a weapon to restore the balance. All they have to do is track down the God of Thunder and convince Thor to turn his hammer over to them.
When their former-friend-now-foe Robert Barconian arrives with a band of dwarves, intent on stopping them, Abigail and friends must unite to prevent a war that will destroy them all. But has Abigail made the biggest mistake of all by trusting in the wrong ally?
Review: This series is such a fun read! I love how the series progresses seamlessly from one book to another for back to back reading and I loved the continuing storylines. The book did well to keep the world building a priority and the character development a must. The plot is still just as interesting as it was in the first book.
The only issue I had was that the pacing was a bit fast paced. That suits me, but might confuse some younger readers.
Verdict: It’s well done and a great Halloween read for younger kids!
Book: The Witch Wars
Author: Alane Adams
Book Series: The Witches of Orkney Book 3
Rating: 5/5
Recommended For...: witches, paranormal, childrens books, magic
Publication Date: October 13, 2020
Genre: MG Fantasy
Recommended Age: 10+ (some scary moments)
Publisher: SparkPress
Pages: 208
Synopsis: Abigail’s second year at the Tarkana Academy has been an all-out disaster. She’s just unwittingly helped Vertulious, an ancient he-witch and powerful alchemist, destroy Odin’s Stone and restore his powers, and now all of Orkney is caught up in the threat of war as the witches prepare to destroy the helpless Orkadians. Determined to set things right, Abigail and Hugo set off for Jotunheim, the land of the giants, to find a weapon to restore the balance. All they have to do is track down the God of Thunder and convince Thor to turn his hammer over to them.
When their former-friend-now-foe Robert Barconian arrives with a band of dwarves, intent on stopping them, Abigail and friends must unite to prevent a war that will destroy them all. But has Abigail made the biggest mistake of all by trusting in the wrong ally?
Review: This series is such a fun read! I love how the series progresses seamlessly from one book to another for back to back reading and I loved the continuing storylines. The book did well to keep the world building a priority and the character development a must. The plot is still just as interesting as it was in the first book.
The only issue I had was that the pacing was a bit fast paced. That suits me, but might confuse some younger readers.
Verdict: It’s well done and a great Halloween read for younger kids!
Disclaimer: I received this e-book from R&R Book Tours for a tour. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Tea With Rasputin
Author: Rolf Richardson
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: mystery, thriller, romance
Publication Date: July 22, 2020
Genre: Mystery
Recommended Age: 18+ (sexual content, gore, slight violence, language)
Publisher: Gold Wind
Pages: 281
Synopsis: It’s 1992 and during a routine layover in Anchorage Alaska, Greg Wilton (a First Officer with British World Airways) disappears without trace.
Back at airline HQ near Heathrow, Mr Halford, Head of Security, is tasked with finding someone to investigate Greg’s case. His team are working to capacity and no one can be spared. So he scrapes the bottom of the barrel and assigns recent recruit, Terry Jackson to the investigation.
Fresh out of training school and awaiting his first posting, Terry flies to Alaska, brimming with enthusiasm at being trusted with such a mission. There he discovers Wilton rented a small plane while on his layover and both are now missing. His last contact appeared to be with Coral, a waitress at the crew watering hole, The Golden Nugget, so with her help Terry sets out to find the missing airman.
Their quest appears to be hopeless, because Alaska is huge, but they do not give up. The action moves to Hong Kong, Miami, Oxford (England) and finally St. Petersburg for Tea with Rasputin, a ten year globe-trotting saga with many twists and turns.
Join Terry in his investigation, where intrigue, suspense, mystery, humour and even a little romance lie in wait.
Review: This was an ok book. The book did well to keep a creepy vibe throughout it and the book was full of thrilling and mysterious moments. The book did well with the world building as well and the character development was ok.
However, I felt like the pacing was a bit too slow for my liking and the mystery was predictable in my opinion.
Verdict: It’s a good mystery book.
Book: Tea With Rasputin
Author: Rolf Richardson
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: mystery, thriller, romance
Publication Date: July 22, 2020
Genre: Mystery
Recommended Age: 18+ (sexual content, gore, slight violence, language)
Publisher: Gold Wind
Pages: 281
Synopsis: It’s 1992 and during a routine layover in Anchorage Alaska, Greg Wilton (a First Officer with British World Airways) disappears without trace.
Back at airline HQ near Heathrow, Mr Halford, Head of Security, is tasked with finding someone to investigate Greg’s case. His team are working to capacity and no one can be spared. So he scrapes the bottom of the barrel and assigns recent recruit, Terry Jackson to the investigation.
Fresh out of training school and awaiting his first posting, Terry flies to Alaska, brimming with enthusiasm at being trusted with such a mission. There he discovers Wilton rented a small plane while on his layover and both are now missing. His last contact appeared to be with Coral, a waitress at the crew watering hole, The Golden Nugget, so with her help Terry sets out to find the missing airman.
Their quest appears to be hopeless, because Alaska is huge, but they do not give up. The action moves to Hong Kong, Miami, Oxford (England) and finally St. Petersburg for Tea with Rasputin, a ten year globe-trotting saga with many twists and turns.
Join Terry in his investigation, where intrigue, suspense, mystery, humour and even a little romance lie in wait.
Review: This was an ok book. The book did well to keep a creepy vibe throughout it and the book was full of thrilling and mysterious moments. The book did well with the world building as well and the character development was ok.
However, I felt like the pacing was a bit too slow for my liking and the mystery was predictable in my opinion.
Verdict: It’s a good mystery book.
Disclaimer: I received the arc from the publisher for TBR and Beyond Tours. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: I Hope You’re Listening
Author: Tom Ryan
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3.5/5
Diversity: w/w main character
Recommended For...: mystery lovers, thrill seekers, missing persons, lgbt+
Publication Date: October 6, 2020
Genre: YA Mystery
Recommended Age: 16+ (mystery, kidnapping and missing persons TW, child abduction TW, cannabis usage)
Publisher: Aw Teen
Pages: 368
Synopsis: In her small town, seventeen year-old Delia “Dee” Skinner is known as the girl who wasn’t taken. Ten years ago, she witnessed the abduction of her best friend, Sibby. And though she told the police everything she remembered, it wasn’t enough. Sibby was never seen again.At night, Dee deals with her guilt by becoming someone else: the Seeker, the voice behind the popular true crime podcast Radio Silent, which features missing persons cases and works with online sleuths to solve them. Nobody knows Dee’s the Seeker, and she plans to keep it that way.When another little girl goes missing, and the case is linked to Sibby’s disappearance, Dee has a chance to get answers, with the help of her virtual detectives and the intriguing new girl at school. But how much is she willing to reveal about herself in order to uncover the truth? Dee’s about to find out what’s really at stake in unraveling the mystery of the little girls who vanished.
Review: For the most part this was a very well done mystery! I couldn’t figure out the whodunit within the first half of the book. The book did well with the mystery elements and the plot was interesting throughout the book. I also thought the world building was well done. I also liked that the book discussed the difference between when a white person goes missing versus a minority character.
However, I do feel like the pacing was really slow and the character development was lacking. The main character is severely stiff and uninteresting. It was a struggle to get through the first half of the book, but by the second half it was smooth sailing.
Verdict: It was good, but a bit lacking.
Book: I Hope You’re Listening
Author: Tom Ryan
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3.5/5
Diversity: w/w main character
Recommended For...: mystery lovers, thrill seekers, missing persons, lgbt+
Publication Date: October 6, 2020
Genre: YA Mystery
Recommended Age: 16+ (mystery, kidnapping and missing persons TW, child abduction TW, cannabis usage)
Publisher: Aw Teen
Pages: 368
Synopsis: In her small town, seventeen year-old Delia “Dee” Skinner is known as the girl who wasn’t taken. Ten years ago, she witnessed the abduction of her best friend, Sibby. And though she told the police everything she remembered, it wasn’t enough. Sibby was never seen again.At night, Dee deals with her guilt by becoming someone else: the Seeker, the voice behind the popular true crime podcast Radio Silent, which features missing persons cases and works with online sleuths to solve them. Nobody knows Dee’s the Seeker, and she plans to keep it that way.When another little girl goes missing, and the case is linked to Sibby’s disappearance, Dee has a chance to get answers, with the help of her virtual detectives and the intriguing new girl at school. But how much is she willing to reveal about herself in order to uncover the truth? Dee’s about to find out what’s really at stake in unraveling the mystery of the little girls who vanished.
Review: For the most part this was a very well done mystery! I couldn’t figure out the whodunit within the first half of the book. The book did well with the mystery elements and the plot was interesting throughout the book. I also thought the world building was well done. I also liked that the book discussed the difference between when a white person goes missing versus a minority character.
However, I do feel like the pacing was really slow and the character development was lacking. The main character is severely stiff and uninteresting. It was a struggle to get through the first half of the book, but by the second half it was smooth sailing.
Verdict: It was good, but a bit lacking.
Disclaimer: I received this ebook from the publisher for Rockstar Book Tours. Thanks! All opinons are my own.
Book: Beyond the Ruby Veil
Author: Mara Fitzgerald
Book Series: Beyond the Ruby Veil Book 1
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: fantasy, revenge, romance, bully like romance
Publication Date: October 13, 2020
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 288
Recommended Age: 16+ (romance, sexual content, violence, gore, death, torture)
Synopsis: Cunning and unapologetic, Emanuela Ragno is a socialite who plays by her own rules. In her most ambitious move yet, she’s about to marry Alessandro Morandi, her childhood best friend and the heir to the wealthiest house in Occhia. Emanuela doesn’t care that she and her groom are both gay, because she doesn’t want a love match. She wants power, and through Ale, she’ll have it all.
But Emanuela has a secret that could shatter her plans. In her city of Occhia, the only source of water is the watercrea, a mysterious being who uses magic to make water from blood. When their first bruise-like omen appears on their skin, all Occhians must surrender themselves to the watercrea to be drained of life. Everyone throughout history has obeyed this law for the greater good. Everyone except Emanuela. She’s kept the tiny omen on her hip out of sight for years.
When the watercrea exposes Emanuela during her wedding ceremony and takes her to be sacrificed, Emanuela fights back…and kills her. Before everyone in Occhia dies of thirst, Emanuela and Ale must travel through the mysterious, blood-red veil that surrounds their city to uncover the source of the watercrea’s power and save their people—no matter what it takes.
Review: For the most part I liked this book. It was a fun, short read that kept me on my toes. The book is great for people who want something fast to get through in one sitting and the plot kept me intrigued from start to finish.
However, there were a ton of problems with this book. The book is way too fast paced and by 15% in I had already reached what should have been the climax of the book. The book is also confusing and spends very little time on developing the story. Nothing is explained outright and the reader is left to guess. The book also had very little world building and the character development was non-existent.
Verdict: It was good and I liked it, but there’s some problems.
Book: Beyond the Ruby Veil
Author: Mara Fitzgerald
Book Series: Beyond the Ruby Veil Book 1
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: fantasy, revenge, romance, bully like romance
Publication Date: October 13, 2020
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 288
Recommended Age: 16+ (romance, sexual content, violence, gore, death, torture)
Synopsis: Cunning and unapologetic, Emanuela Ragno is a socialite who plays by her own rules. In her most ambitious move yet, she’s about to marry Alessandro Morandi, her childhood best friend and the heir to the wealthiest house in Occhia. Emanuela doesn’t care that she and her groom are both gay, because she doesn’t want a love match. She wants power, and through Ale, she’ll have it all.
But Emanuela has a secret that could shatter her plans. In her city of Occhia, the only source of water is the watercrea, a mysterious being who uses magic to make water from blood. When their first bruise-like omen appears on their skin, all Occhians must surrender themselves to the watercrea to be drained of life. Everyone throughout history has obeyed this law for the greater good. Everyone except Emanuela. She’s kept the tiny omen on her hip out of sight for years.
When the watercrea exposes Emanuela during her wedding ceremony and takes her to be sacrificed, Emanuela fights back…and kills her. Before everyone in Occhia dies of thirst, Emanuela and Ale must travel through the mysterious, blood-red veil that surrounds their city to uncover the source of the watercrea’s power and save their people—no matter what it takes.
Review: For the most part I liked this book. It was a fun, short read that kept me on my toes. The book is great for people who want something fast to get through in one sitting and the plot kept me intrigued from start to finish.
However, there were a ton of problems with this book. The book is way too fast paced and by 15% in I had already reached what should have been the climax of the book. The book is also confusing and spends very little time on developing the story. Nothing is explained outright and the reader is left to guess. The book also had very little world building and the character development was non-existent.
Verdict: It was good and I liked it, but there’s some problems.
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher for TBR and Beyond Tours. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Winter, White and Wicked
Author: Shannon Dittemore
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: fantasy, found family
Publication Date: October 13, 2020
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Pages: 384
Recommended Age: 16+ (drugs, smugglers, monsters)
Synopsis: Twice-orphaned Sylvi has chipped out a niche for herself on Layce, an island cursed by eternal winter. Alone in her truck, she takes comfort in two things: the solitude of the roads and the favor of Winter, an icy spirit who has protected her since she was a child.
Sylvi likes the road, where no one asks who her parents were or what she thinks of the rebels in the north. But when her best friend, Lenore, runs off with the rebels, Sylvi must make a haul too late in the season for a smuggler she wouldn’t normally work with, the infamous Mars Dresden. Alongside his team—Hyla, a giant warrior woman and Kyn, a boy with skin like stone—Sylvi will do whatever it takes to save her friend.
But when the time comes, she’ll have to choose: safety, anonymity, and the favor of Winter—or the future of the island that she calls home.
Review: I thought this was a good read. The book had excellent character development and the plot was great. The book is so creepy and it's perfect for the winter and mystery reads.
However, the writing in this book is bad. The book is wrote so weird that I had issue reading it and had to reread numerous chunks of the book. The book is super confusing and doesn't show the readers what is happening, only telling what is going on. The books characters also speak weirdly in this book and there's not a lot of world building.
Verdict: It’s good, but it was a hard read for me.
Book: Winter, White and Wicked
Author: Shannon Dittemore
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: fantasy, found family
Publication Date: October 13, 2020
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Pages: 384
Recommended Age: 16+ (drugs, smugglers, monsters)
Synopsis: Twice-orphaned Sylvi has chipped out a niche for herself on Layce, an island cursed by eternal winter. Alone in her truck, she takes comfort in two things: the solitude of the roads and the favor of Winter, an icy spirit who has protected her since she was a child.
Sylvi likes the road, where no one asks who her parents were or what she thinks of the rebels in the north. But when her best friend, Lenore, runs off with the rebels, Sylvi must make a haul too late in the season for a smuggler she wouldn’t normally work with, the infamous Mars Dresden. Alongside his team—Hyla, a giant warrior woman and Kyn, a boy with skin like stone—Sylvi will do whatever it takes to save her friend.
But when the time comes, she’ll have to choose: safety, anonymity, and the favor of Winter—or the future of the island that she calls home.
Review: I thought this was a good read. The book had excellent character development and the plot was great. The book is so creepy and it's perfect for the winter and mystery reads.
However, the writing in this book is bad. The book is wrote so weird that I had issue reading it and had to reread numerous chunks of the book. The book is super confusing and doesn't show the readers what is happening, only telling what is going on. The books characters also speak weirdly in this book and there's not a lot of world building.
Verdict: It’s good, but it was a hard read for me.
Disclaimer: I received an e-arc and arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: A Golden Fury
Author: Samantha Cohoe
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommended For...: sci-fi, fantasy, historical fiction, magic
Publication Date: October 13, 2020
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (romance, slight sexual content, violence, slight gore, curses, sacrifice)
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Pages: 352
Synopsis: Thea Hope longs to be an alchemist out of the shadow of her famous mother. The two of them are close to creating the legendary Philosopher’s Stone—whose properties include immortality and can turn any metal into gold—but just when the promise of the Stone’s riches is in their grasp, Thea’s mother destroys the Stone in a sudden fit of violent madness.
While combing through her mother’s notes, Thea learns that there’s a curse on the Stone that causes anyone who tries to make it to lose their sanity. With the threat of the French Revolution looming, Thea is sent to Oxford for her safety, to live with the father who doesn’t know she exists.
But in Oxford, there are alchemists after the Stone who don’t believe Thea’s warning about the curse—instead, they’ll stop at nothing to steal Thea’s knowledge of how to create the Stone. But Thea can only run for so long, and soon she will have to choose: create the Stone and sacrifice her sanity, or let the people she loves die.
Review: For the most part I enjoyed the book. It was a fun, fast paced read and the writing was well done. The plot was intriguing enough to keep me reading throughout the book and I did like the premise of it. I also liked the strong family relationship in this book and how clear and strong the women were. The romance, while not the main focal point, was also cute and the friendship was cute as well.
However, the book jumped around a LOT and the book was very confusing as it did so. The book didn’t spend a lot of time world building and I wish that the book was further developed and slowed down and possibly even broken up into two books rather than one. The second half of the book particularly feels rushed and underdeveloped.
Verdict: It’s good, but it’s got issues.
Book: A Golden Fury
Author: Samantha Cohoe
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommended For...: sci-fi, fantasy, historical fiction, magic
Publication Date: October 13, 2020
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (romance, slight sexual content, violence, slight gore, curses, sacrifice)
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Pages: 352
Synopsis: Thea Hope longs to be an alchemist out of the shadow of her famous mother. The two of them are close to creating the legendary Philosopher’s Stone—whose properties include immortality and can turn any metal into gold—but just when the promise of the Stone’s riches is in their grasp, Thea’s mother destroys the Stone in a sudden fit of violent madness.
While combing through her mother’s notes, Thea learns that there’s a curse on the Stone that causes anyone who tries to make it to lose their sanity. With the threat of the French Revolution looming, Thea is sent to Oxford for her safety, to live with the father who doesn’t know she exists.
But in Oxford, there are alchemists after the Stone who don’t believe Thea’s warning about the curse—instead, they’ll stop at nothing to steal Thea’s knowledge of how to create the Stone. But Thea can only run for so long, and soon she will have to choose: create the Stone and sacrifice her sanity, or let the people she loves die.
Review: For the most part I enjoyed the book. It was a fun, fast paced read and the writing was well done. The plot was intriguing enough to keep me reading throughout the book and I did like the premise of it. I also liked the strong family relationship in this book and how clear and strong the women were. The romance, while not the main focal point, was also cute and the friendship was cute as well.
However, the book jumped around a LOT and the book was very confusing as it did so. The book didn’t spend a lot of time world building and I wish that the book was further developed and slowed down and possibly even broken up into two books rather than one. The second half of the book particularly feels rushed and underdeveloped.
Verdict: It’s good, but it’s got issues.
Disclaimer: I received this ebook from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: They Lived They Were At Brighton Beach
Author: Ivan Brave
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: music fans, fiction, romance
Publication Date: June 16, 2020
Genre: Adult Fiction
Recommended Age: 16+ (romance, relapse, drug usage/mention TW)
Publisher: Indie Published
Pages: 325
Synopsis: Loyal fans know him as a rising internet star and the resident DJ at one of Brooklyn’s sauciest nightclubs. But one blistering summer day, after relapsing, getting dumped, and winding up at the hospital, Ilya Gagarin awakes in a nightmare. The only way out, he figures, is to finally debut his EP, meaning, to realize a deeper dream.
The process of producing, together with the power of music and an urge to accept his past, is passionately described in his journal—while the larger story follows the weeks leading to his EP launch, his struggle to quit drugs, and his falling in love again to a guardian angel. It is she who teaches him, “Do you know how Russians say Once Upon a Time? Жили были. It translates to They Lived They Were.” Suggesting Ilya might just get his fairy tale ending. Or at least move on
Review: I really liked the writing. It flowed well like a melody and it worked well with this book. The book also had great character development and was wonderfully paced.
However, I do think that the book didn't have enough world building in my opinion. The book also wouldn't be one I would normally pick up, but it was good nonetheless. Overall though, this was an interesting book.
Verdict: Definitely read with music.
Book: They Lived They Were At Brighton Beach
Author: Ivan Brave
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: music fans, fiction, romance
Publication Date: June 16, 2020
Genre: Adult Fiction
Recommended Age: 16+ (romance, relapse, drug usage/mention TW)
Publisher: Indie Published
Pages: 325
Synopsis: Loyal fans know him as a rising internet star and the resident DJ at one of Brooklyn’s sauciest nightclubs. But one blistering summer day, after relapsing, getting dumped, and winding up at the hospital, Ilya Gagarin awakes in a nightmare. The only way out, he figures, is to finally debut his EP, meaning, to realize a deeper dream.
The process of producing, together with the power of music and an urge to accept his past, is passionately described in his journal—while the larger story follows the weeks leading to his EP launch, his struggle to quit drugs, and his falling in love again to a guardian angel. It is she who teaches him, “Do you know how Russians say Once Upon a Time? Жили были. It translates to They Lived They Were.” Suggesting Ilya might just get his fairy tale ending. Or at least move on
Review: I really liked the writing. It flowed well like a melody and it worked well with this book. The book also had great character development and was wonderfully paced.
However, I do think that the book didn't have enough world building in my opinion. The book also wouldn't be one I would normally pick up, but it was good nonetheless. Overall though, this was an interesting book.
Verdict: Definitely read with music.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the author and publisher for tour. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Roaring
Author: Lindsey Duga
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommended For...: Romance, fantasy, monsters, historical fiction
Publication Date: August 3, 2020
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Pages: 422
Recommended Age: 16+ (romance, slight sexual content, violence, gore, 1920s slang)
Synopsis: Colt Clemmons is an agent in a specialized division within the Bureau of Investigation—one that hunts down not just mobsters, but also monsters.
For reasons that are kept top secret, Colt is the only person who can resist a siren's voice. But he's never had a chance to test this ability. The last siren left in the world mysteriously disappeared years ago.
Then one night, with a single word, she reveals herself. It seems too good to be true.
And it is. Because nothing about this siren—her past, her powers, or her purpose—is what it seems...
Review: For the most part this was a good book. I enjoyed the romance, the characters were well developed, and I really liked the plot of this book and it kept me intrigued from start to finish.
However, the pacing was super slow and the book constantly flipped between "I'm in danger save me" between our two enemies to lovers and that made my head spin. It's kinda infuriating when the same cliche ploy pusher is used multiple times.
Verdict: It was good!
Book: Roaring
Author: Lindsey Duga
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommended For...: Romance, fantasy, monsters, historical fiction
Publication Date: August 3, 2020
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Pages: 422
Recommended Age: 16+ (romance, slight sexual content, violence, gore, 1920s slang)
Synopsis: Colt Clemmons is an agent in a specialized division within the Bureau of Investigation—one that hunts down not just mobsters, but also monsters.
For reasons that are kept top secret, Colt is the only person who can resist a siren's voice. But he's never had a chance to test this ability. The last siren left in the world mysteriously disappeared years ago.
Then one night, with a single word, she reveals herself. It seems too good to be true.
And it is. Because nothing about this siren—her past, her powers, or her purpose—is what it seems...
Review: For the most part this was a good book. I enjoyed the romance, the characters were well developed, and I really liked the plot of this book and it kept me intrigued from start to finish.
However, the pacing was super slow and the book constantly flipped between "I'm in danger save me" between our two enemies to lovers and that made my head spin. It's kinda infuriating when the same cliche ploy pusher is used multiple times.
Verdict: It was good!