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The Bargainer Series Book Review

The Bargainer Series by Laura Thalassa Book Review

Overall Rating: ****

Romance: *****

Reading Rate: *****

I blew through this entire series in about 3.5-4 days and then immediately started searching for anything else by Laura Thalassa  that I could get my hands on.

To start this is definitely an adult book with quite a bit of smut and language. The main character “Calli” is a Siren, and I love how dark her character is. I feel a lot of stories start with this pure broken female lead and while she certainly had her demons, she was also a bit of one herself. I cant even with the Bargainer… just “sigh”… he is terrible and I love it!

The first book toggles back and forth from Calli’s present day interactions with Des the Bargainer and her teenage interactions with him. I was a little concerned with the age dynamic early on in the books thinking it was about to go down a road I was not comfortable with, but stick with it and I feel things were pretty quickly cleared up.

There are three books and a novella in the series:

  1. Rhapsodic (The Bargainer) (Volume 1) 
  2. A Strange Hymn
  3. Dark Harmony 
  4. Emperor of the Evening Starts (2.5/Novella)

I really wanted to give this series 5 stars because I enjoyed it so much, but it is not a story for everyone and does have the cliche romance element. If you were a fan of A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, I think you would really enjoy this series as well.

Rhapsodic Synopsis:

Callypso Lillis is a siren with a very big problem, one that stretches up her arm and far into her past. For the last seven years she’s been collecting a bracelet of black beads up her wrist, magical IOUs for favors she’s received. Only death or repayment will fulfill the obligations. Only then will the beads disappear. Everyone knows that if you need a favor, you go to the Bargainer to make it happen. He’s a man who can get you anything you want … at a price. And everyone knows that sooner or later he always collects. But for one of his clients, he’s never asked for repayment. Not until now. When Callie finds the fae king of the night in her room, a grin on his lips and a twinkle in his eye, she knows things are about to change. At first it’s just a chaste kiss—a single bead’s worth—and a promise for more. For the Bargainer, it’s more than just a matter of rekindling an old romance. Something is happening in the Otherworld. Fae warriors are going missing one by one. Only the women are returned, each in a glass casket, a child clutched to their breast. And then there are the whispers among the slaves, whispers of an evil that’s been awoken. If the Bargainer has any hope to save his people, he’ll need the help of the siren he spurned long ago. Only, his foe has a taste for exotic creatures, and Callie just happens to be one.

Have you read this series? Tell me what you think in the comments below.

– Megan

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Book Review: Sorcery of Thorns

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Overall: *****Sorcery of Thorns Book Review Margaret Rogerson Charlie Bowater

Romance: **

Reading Rate: *****

Pages: 456

Published: June 4th 2019 by Margaret K. McElderry Books

I cannot express how excited I was for this book to release. I read Rogerson’s Enchantment of Ravens earlier this year and really enjoyed it! Plus, my goodness the level of cover gorgeousness is just crazy!!!

This book is very different from EOR, so if you were not a fan I would still give Sorcery of Thorns a try. I will say as a fan of both I feel Sorcery of Thorns far surpassed EOR for quality, and I enjoyed the writing style used more in SOT. Even though this book was over 400 pages I blew through it in 2 days, I just could not put it down and had to find out what happened next.

What I liked:

  • Guys the library and “living” books, could there be more of a dream world for a Book worm?
  • Rogerson did a great job of building out a complex world, characters, and storyline for only having one book to do so. Can I pretty please get more books in this universe!?
  • It felt a little like a story line from the show Supernatural and I loved it!!!

What I didn’t like:

  • I never really got attached to Nathaniel the way I normally would for the Male lead in a story, I felt Silas his demon servant overshadowed him.
  • I would have like a little more steam in the love interest. I didn’t take anything away from the book for this however, this book is firmly YA and kept it PG-13, steam is just my personal preference. Also, if you lean more towards the Adult/NA end this may not be for you.

I was really worried this book was going to be a victim of the hype but I really think it delivered. If this is the only book in the universe I would be so so sad… I already have two editions of this book and would rush to buy anything and everything Rogerson put out about this world. While there are demons and fighting and a hint of romance I still feel this is a book I would recommend for a teen to read, but also enough of a story that adults can still enjoy as well.

Synopsis:

All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery—magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather. She hopes to become a warden, charged with protecting the kingdom from their power.

Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth’s desperate intervention implicates her in the crime, and she is torn from her home to face justice in the capital. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them.

As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught—about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined. 

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The Kiss of Deception (The Remnant Chronicles #1) Book Review

The Kiss of Deception – Book one of the Remnant Chronicles by Mary E. Pearson

Overall rating: ****

Romance: ***

Reading Rate: ****

Pages: 492

Buy it on Amazon: Here

The Remnant Chronicles have been on my TBR for quite some time now. When a read along was posted with some fellow Bookstagrammers I jumped at the chance to join one for the first time. Kiss of Deception The Remnant Chronicles Review

We are first introduced to Lia the Princess and First Daughter of Morrighan as she prepares to flee from her arranged marriage to the Dalbreck Prince. She and her lady in waiting escape to a beautiful seaside town to try and start their lives over where unbeknownst to Lia she meets the Prince she was meant to marry and the Barbarian Assassin who was sent to kill her.

There are a lot of pieces to the world that you are introduced to early on in the book without explanation such as the First Daughters, Gifts, and the concept of the Ancients and the Gods. I was constantly on the lookout for more information and answers to my questions. While I didn’t get all that I was looking for in the first book there were certainly a lot of gaps filled in, the author has a very “all things in due time” writing style. I know this can be frustrating for some readers but I really enjoy the way she keeps me on the hook and wanting to know more.

What I liked:

  • This book gets tons of credit for being the first in a long while to throw me for a huge loop. I am usually good at predicting things in books and I really felt while some things were the standard fantasy story line there were still a lot of elements that really surprised me.
  • I was sucked in!!  I made it through the book in about 2 days even though it is almost 500 pages long. I immediately wanted to dive into the second book but made myself hold of for the Read Along discussion 🙂
  • The detailed world and characters keep it interesting and keep me guessing. There was a decent amount of world building done in the first book and also a ton of questions that were posed. I looks forward to learning so  much more in the next two books.

What I didn’t like:

  • This really is not a negative but more a notable element.  This is firmly a YA book, while there are detailed fighting scenes and love elements to the story line so far everything has remained PG-13. I personally would like to see a little more steam, but the story is still very good without.

Synopsis:

In a society steeped in tradition, Princess Lia’s life follows a preordained course. As First Daughter, she is expected to have the revered gift of sight—but she doesn’t—and she knows her parents are perpetrating a sham when they arrange her marriage to secure an alliance with a neighboring kingdom—to a prince she has never met.

On the morning of her wedding, Lia flees to a distant village. She settles into a new life, hopeful when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deception abounds, and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—even as she finds herself falling in love. 

The read along is for the Remnant Chronicles Trilogy Remnant Chronicles Trilogy as well as Pearson’s Dance of Thieves leading up the release of the final book in the duology Vow of Thieves releasing in August. So look for lots more review goodies to go!

Have you read the Remnant Chronicles or Dance of Thieves? Tell me what you think of them below in the comments.

 

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Shiver Book Review

Overall rating: ****

Romance: ***

Reading rate: **

I was a massive fan of the Raven Cycle by Stiefvater and as soon as I finished it I started trying to devour everything written by her. The Wolves of Mercy Falls popped up as a Scribd suggestion so I went for it!

Shiver Stiefvater book review

The first book in the series is Shiver and while it is a very different type of story from the Raven boys I loved it all the same. One of my favorite things about Stiefvater’s writing is how all of the people and little details always end up being important… and it may not come back around to even register until much later. The love story that she weaves between Sam and Grace is wonderful and all of the twists and turns that the story takes are on that “hurt so good” level. The author even said in an interview that she set out to make her readers cry and she delivered! The book switches back and forth between each of their points of view throughout.

What I liked:

  • I love all of the characters and the way that they are done, even when it is a character that I dont “like as a person”. I always feel like I was given real insight into they someone is good or terrible and what led them to their actions.
  • This was a take on werewolves that I have never encountered before. It was made to be more of a real world issue than a paranormal or magic phenomenon that you traditionally see.
  • I genuinely could not get enough of how cute Sam and Grace are!

 

What I didn’t like:

  • I felt like the characters were just skipping over all kinds of important details and could have resolved the issues much faster had they paid more attention. I felt like when watching a movie when you are yelling at the person no to go in somewhere scary.
  • The one down side of the detailed writing of Stiefvater is that these books are not easy to consume quickly. I had a hard time trying to stay tuned in to the physical book so had to go back to audio, and will finish the rest of the series that way.

 

Synopsis:

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling presence she can’t seem to live without.

Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human… until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It’s her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human—or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

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A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness Book Review

Overall Rating: ****

Romance: ***

Reading Rate: ***

A Discovery of Witches is one of those books that I kept hearing rave reviews for,  plus it is now a TV series so I wanted to read before I started watching. I started out loving the this book and I wanted to love it so so much, for me it just started to get a little off and slow towards the end but overall was a good read.

Discovery of Witches- All Souls- Harkness

What I liked:

  • I like the magical world set up with Witches, Daemons and Vampires all living alongside the human population.
  • I am a huge inta love fan so I love the immediate steam between Matt and Diana
  • I loved all of the nerdy elements to the story. Matt being a scientist and Diane a historian. A book that is largely about books is usually pretty wonderful.

What I didn’t like:

  • At times conversations seemed to go down the rabbit hole of history or science to the point I found it hard to get through.
  • I feel like the main characters were very reasonable throughout the book and seemed to start losing their grip on their feelings towards the end. I know this happens after certain experiences, I just felt like they were suddenly almost different characters then the people I had grown to enjoy.
  • There is a lot of typical stereotyping between humans and types of creatures. It bugs me when the main cause of an issue is being with endless experience and knowledge just being narrow minded.

This is actually the first book in Harkness’s All Souls trilogy. I started reading the second book right away as the ending of this one left me needing to know what happens next. About 150 pages in I lost interest and have placed the book in my Did Not Finish pile for the time being. I still plan to come back around and finish the whole series at some point… might try to use audio book to help me make it through.

Synopsis:

Deep in the stacks of Oxford’s Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

Have you read the series? Does it get better and worth reading through to the end? Let me know in the comments below.

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Top Book Releases for June 2019

June turned out to be a bit of a slow month for book releases this year, but it does contain one of my most anticipated reads of the year.

June 1st

Before the Broken Star (The Evermore Chronicles #1) by  Emily R. KingBefore the broken star book

This book was actually included in the June Prime First reads program, so as an Amazon Prime member I was able to get a free Kindle version of this book. I have not had a chance to dive in, but it sounds very interesting.

Synopsis:

Everley Donovan is living on borrowed time. The lone survivor of her family’s unexplained assassination, she was saved by an ingeniously crafted clockwork heart. But the time she was given won’t last forever. Now, every tick-tock reminds her how fragile her existence is and hastens her quest to expose Killian Markham, the navy admiral who shattered her world and left her for dead. But Everley’s hunt for justice will be a long and hard-won voyage.

Her journey takes her to a penal colony on a cursed isle, where she will be married off and charged to build the new world. It is here, and beyond, that hidden realms hide, treasures are unearthed, her family secrets are buried, and young love will test the strength of her makeshift heart. When Everley discovers Markham may not be who he seems, her pursuit for truth is bound to his redemption, her tragic history, and her astonishing destiny.

June 4th

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Sorcery of Thorns Book Margaret Rogerson Charlie BowaterGuys I read her first book Enchantment of Ravens last year and LOVED it, it was a short unique take on fae and I cannot wait for this release. I have heard from those that received ARCs that it is even better than Enchantment of Ravens, and even some folks who didn’t care for the EOR like this one.

Synopsis:

All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery—magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather. She hopes to become a warden, charged with protecting the kingdom from their power.

Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth’s desperate intervention implicates her in the crime, and she is torn from her home to face justice in the capital. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them.

As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught—about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined.

I have ordered 2 book boxes that will have Exclusive Editions of this book OwlCrate and FairyLoot.

 

The Beholder (The Beholder #1) by Anna Bright

The Beholder BookSelah has waited her whole life for a happily ever after. As the only daughter of the leader of Potomac, she knows her duty is to find the perfect match, a partner who will help secure the future of her people. Now that day has finally come.

But after an excruciatingly public rejection from her closest childhood friend, Selah’s stepmother suggests an unthinkable solution: Selah must set sail across the Atlantic, where a series of potential suitors awaits—and if she doesn’t come home engaged, she shouldn’t come home at all.

From English castle gardens to the fjords of Norge, and under the eye of the dreaded Imperiya Yotne, Selah’s quest will be the journey of a lifetime. But her stepmother’s schemes aren’t the only secrets hiding belowdecks…and the stakes of her voyage may be higher than any happy ending.

 

Ghosts of the Shadow Market (Ghosts of the Shadow Market #1-10) by Cassandra ClareMaureen JohnsonSarah Rees BrennanRobin WassermanKelly Link

Ghosts of the Shadow Market Book Cassandra ClareSynopsis:

The Shadow Market is a meeting point for faeries, werewolves, warlocks and vampires. There the Downworlders buy and sell magical objects, make dark bargains, and whisper secrets they do not want the Nephilim to know. Through two centuries, however, there has been a frequent visitor to the Shadow Market from the City of Bones, the very heart of the Shadowhunters. As a Silent Brother, Brother Zachariah is sworn keeper of the laws and lore of the Nephilim. But once he was a Shadowhunter called Jem Carstairs, and his love, then and always, is the warlock Tessa Gray.

Follow Brother Zachariah and see, against the backdrop of the Shadow Market’s dark dealings and festive celebrations, Anna Lightwood’s first romance, Matthew Fairchild’s great sin and Tessa Gray plunged into a world war. Valentine Morgenstern buys a soul at the Market and a young Jace Wayland’s soul finds safe harbor. In the Market is hidden a lost heir and a beloved ghost, and no one can save you once you have traded away your heart. Not even Brother Zachariah…

Shadow & Flame (Rime Chronicles 2) by  Mindee Arnett

Shadow and Flame (Onyx & Ivory 2)This book is the sequel to Onyx and Ivory, which I have heard nothing but great things about. I have been holding off on reading them for the series to be complete.

Synopsis:

From acclaimed author Mindee Arnett comes the thrilling conclusion of the stunningly epic, action-packed, and romantic fantasy adventure about a powerful girl possessed of strange magic, the outcast prince she loves, and the kingdom that has torn them apart.

Kate and Corwin are on the run, desperate for allies in a new world of war among the kingdoms of Rime. As the book opens, Kate suffers a massive loss, one that will shape the struggle for freedom of all wilders and magic folk—that is, if Kate can learn to control her own power.

June 11th

Storm and Fury (The Harbinger #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Storm and Fury Armentrout Book ReviewI received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it! I am anxiously awaiting the next book to release and will be checking out more of Armentrout’s work.

Eighteen-year-old Trinity Marrow may be going blind, but she can see and communicate with ghosts and spirits. Her unique gift is part of a secret so dangerous that she’s been in hiding for years in an isolated compound fiercely guarded by Wardens—gargoyle shape-shifters who protect humankind from demons. If the demons discover the truth about Trinity, they’ll devour her, flesh and bone, to enhance their own powers.

When Wardens from another clan arrive with disturbing reports that something out there is killing both demons and Wardens, Trinity’s safe world implodes. Not the least because one of the outsiders is the most annoying and fascinating person she’s ever met. Zayne has secrets of his own that will upend her world yet again—but working together becomes imperative once demons breach the compound and Trinity’s secret comes to light. To save her family and maybe the world, she’ll have to put her trust in Zayne. But all bets are off as a supernatural war is unleashed…

Rise (Rule #2) by Ellen Goodlett

Rise Rule #2 BookSynopsis:

Sisters Akeylah, Ren, and Zofi are all a step closer to their dying father’s throne, a step closer to the crown that will allow one of them to rule over Kolonya. But the sisters’ pasts continue to haunt them. Each hides a secret marked with blood and betrayal, and now their blackmailer is holding nothing back. When King Andros discovers the sisters’ traitorous pasts, the consequences will shake the entire kingdom to its core.

As Kolonya’s greatest threat stalks closer and closer, weaving a web of fear and deceit around Ren, Zofi, and Akeylah, even the people they love are under suspicion. If the sisters are going to survive, they’ll have to learn to trust each other above all else and work together, not only to save themselves, but to protect everyone and everything they hold dear.

June 13th

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – House Editions

You know I have my Ravenclaw Edition Pre ordered!!!

June 25th

Deviate (Lifelike Series Book 2) by Jay Kristoff

Deviate LIfelike 2 Book KristoffI seriously cannot get enough of anything that Jay Kristoff does… also he is a hilarious social media follow.

Synopsis:

Lemon Fresh has seen better days.

After the climactic battle in Babel, she finds herself separated from Ezekiel and Cricket in the wastelands. Lemon’s abilities to manipulate electricity mark her as a deviate, and deadly corporate operatives are hunting her to use as a weapon in the war between BioMaas Incorporated and Daedelus Technologies. Instead, Lemon finds herself falling in with a group of fellow deviates—a band of teenagers with astonishing abilities, led by an enigmatic figure known as the Major, who may hold the secrets to Lemon’s past.

Meanwhile, Cricket finds himself in possession of the puritanical Brotherhood, a religious cult set for a head-on collision with the Major and his band. Searching for Lemon, Ezekiel finds a strange ally in an old enemy, and uncovers a plot that may see him reunited with his beloved Ana.

And inside Babel, a remade Eve hatches a plan to bring an end to the world.

Soul of the Sword (Shadow of the Fox #2) by Julie Kagawa

SOul of the Sword Kagawa BookSynopsis:

One thousand years ago, a wish was made to the Harbinger of Change and a sword of rage and lightning was forged. Kamigoroshi. The Godslayer. It had one task: to seal away the powerful demon Hakaimono.

Now he has broken free.

Kitsune shapeshifter Yumeko has one task: to take her piece of the ancient and powerful scroll to the Steel Feather temple in order to prevent the summoning of the Harbinger of Change, the great Kami Dragon who will grant one wish to whomever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers. But she has a new enemy now. The demon Hakaimono, who for centuries was trapped in a cursed sword, has escaped and possessed the boy she thought would protect her, Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan.

Hakaimono has done the unthinkable and joined forces with the Master of Demons in order to break the curse of the sword and set himself free. To overthrow the empire and cover the land in darkness, they need one thing: the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers. As the paths of Yumeko and the possessed Tatsumi cross once again, the entire empire will be thrown into chaos.

 

Call It What You Want- Brigid Kemmerer

Call it what you want Kemmerer bookThis is a YA contemporary  written by the same author as A Curse So Dark and Lonely. I enjoyed ACSDAL quite a bit and am interested to see how I like her writing in other genres.

Synopsis:

When his dad is caught embezzling funds from half the town, Rob goes from popular lacrosse player to social pariah. Even worse, his father’s failed suicide attempt leaves Rob and his mother responsible for his care.

Everyone thinks of Maegan as a typical overachiever, but she has a secret of her own after the pressure got to her last year. And when her sister comes home from college pregnant, keeping it from her parents might be more than she can handle.

When Rob and Maegan are paired together for a calculus project, they’re both reluctant to let anyone through the walls they’ve built. But when Maegan learns of Rob’s plan to fix the damage caused by his father, it could ruin more than their fragile new friendship…

This captivating, heartfelt novel asks the question: Is it okay to do something wrong for the right reasons?

 

What books are you excited for in June?

– Megan

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Finale by Stephanie Garber Book Review

Overall rating: ****

Romance: **

Reading Pace:***

The Caraval series is one of the few times I have read a series as they released. I actually did not know that it was a series until I got to the end of the first book.

I was so so so excited for Finale and to see how the story ended and completely thought that I would breeze through this book in about a day as I did with the others, but it actually took me right at a week to get through. There was a lot more complexity to this book than the previous two. There was a real dive into the characters and how they are felt and tied together versus the hustle and bustle of the Game that you encountered in the first two. As a standalone book I did not like it as much as the first two, but I think it did a great job of bringing everything together to wrap up the story. I think that is a bit of the curse of final books a lot of the time and of course no one is happy to see a series that they love stop, even if they really wanted that ending!

Finale Caraval Book Review

What I liked:

  • Deeper dives into the main characters feelings… and all the great Tella and Legend moments
  • Finally having all of the secrets revealed!!!
  • The author left some amazing opportunities for Spin-offs series or novellas of the Fates… please of please give me some more Jacks!

What I didn’t like:

  • I honestly missed the game in this book, I wish it had been closer to sequences of Caraval and Legendary.
  • This points of view flipped back and forth between Tella and Scarlett, so it was a little harder to get invested in the characters connection for me.
  • There were a lot of people and characters- I really think the dealing with the fates alone could have been split into another two books.

I know people have a lot of strong opinions about this series and it seems to be in extremes. Yes, while I agree that the series is not a work in literary art. They are fun, suck you in stories that leave you wanting more and wondering what on earth is going to happen next. Also, if you happen to follow author Stephanie Garber on social media, she is super sweet, always going out of her way to keep fans informed and thanking them. Honestly just on person alone I would read her work.

Official Synopsis:

Welcome, welcome to Finale, the third and final book in Stephanie Garber’s #1 New York Times bestselling Caraval series!

A love worth fighting for. A dream worth dying for. An ending worth waiting for.

It’s been two months since the Fates were freed from a deck of cards, two months since Legend claimed the throne for his own, and two months since Tella discovered the boy she fell in love with doesn’t really exist.

With lives, empires, and hearts hanging in the balance, Tella must decide if she’s going to trust Legend or a former enemy. After uncovering a secret that upends her life, Scarlett will need to do the impossible. And Legend has a choice to make that will forever change and define him.

Caraval is over, but perhaps the greatest game of all has begun. There are no spectators this time: only those who will win, and those who will lose everything.

Welcome, welcome to Finale. All games must come to an end…

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Release Date: May 7, 2019

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A Curse So Dark and Lonely Book Review

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer Book Review

Overall rating:***

Romance: ***

Reading Rate: *****

Pages: 484

Buy it on Amazon: Here

I was so so so excited for A Curse So Dark and Lonely to come out! I also got a stunning edition in my Fairyloot Beauty and the Beast crate. I put my whole TBR aside and started reading this right away! This turned out to be a suck you in, fast paced read and only took me two days to knock out. Sometimes I love books like this that send me into a reading rush to cure my hangover from the story.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely Book Review

I admit I thought this was going to be a 5 star read for me, but after much consideration I landed at 3. Just a few pages in I already had a major ship going and as the book went on a love triangle started to come out. I know some folks totally love this angle though, it tends to frustrate me a bit as a reader… I am really a die hard One True Pairing kind of girl.

I thought this was an interesting take on a Beauty and the Beast. Most retellings that I have encountered the “Belle” knows that the Prince is the Beast. In this book the nature of the curse is a bit different in that a new girl is brought to Prince Rhen at the start of a “season” and he has until the end of that season to make her fall in love with him, before he turns into a monster. Once the season has ended, often with a large amount of loss, it resets and a new girl must be found to start all over.

We come in at the start of the last season for Prince Rhen as he is has upset the Enchantress, and she has doomed him to be a monster forever if he cannot make this final girl fall in love with him. That is only where some of the trouble begins as Harper attempts to stop the abduction of the final girl, only to end up in her place….

This is the first book in a series and I feel it will only get better with time now that a lot of the ground work and character building are in place. The second book in the series A Heart so Fierce and Broken is set to be released by Bloomsbury Publishing in January 2020.

Have you read A Curse So Dark and Lonely or have other retellings that you love? Let me know what you think in the comments.

Official Synopsis:

Fall in love, break the curse.

It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s instead somehow sucked into Rhen’s cursed world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.

 

 

Book Reviews, Products I love!!

Song of the Abyss by Makiia Lucier Review

Overall Rating: ****

Romance: ***

Release Date: August 27, 2019

Song of the Abyss (Tower of Winds) dives right into the action when the main character Reyna has to flee her ship from mysterious raiders. Her escape lands her in a rival country where her path collides with their Prince Levi.  Reyna and Levi soon find themselves thrust together on a high seas adventure to unravel the mystery behind the raiders who have taken their loved ones. This book was a fastSong of the Abyss Book Review paced and interesting read that had just enough romance to keep me going.  The characters and world were well developed and I really enjoyed each of them.

This is the second book in the <a href=”http://Isle of Blood and Stone (Tower of Winds)” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Tower of Winds series but it could also be read as a standalone as no back story was needed. I rated it 4 out of 5 stars as it is lacking any really unique element, although I am very interested to see what Lucier does with this world in the future.

Official Synopsis:

Ancient grievances, long-held grudges, and dangerous magic combine in this sweeping standalone fantasy perfect for fans of Tamora Pierce and Rachel Hartman.
 
      They came in the night as she dreamt, in her berth, on a ship sailing home to del Mar. After, they would be all Reyna thought about: two carracks painted scorpion black. No emblem on either forecastle, no pennants flying above the mainmasts to hint at a kingdom of origin.

     Never a good sign.

     As the granddaughter of a famed navigator, seventeen-year-old Reyna has always lived life on her own terms, despite those who say a girl could never be an explorer for the royal house of St. John del Mar. She is determined to prove them wrong, and as she returns home after a year-long expedition, she knows her dream is within reach. No longer an apprentice, instead: Reyna, Master Explorer.

     But when menacing raiders attack her ship, those dreams are pushed aside. Reyna’s escape is both desperate and dangerous, and when next she sees her ship, a mystery rises from the deep. The sailors–her captain, her countrymen–have vanished. To find them, Reyna must use every resource at her disposal . . . including placing her trust in a handsome prince from a rival kingdom.

     Together they uncover a disturbing truth. The attack was no isolated incident. Troubling signs point to a shadowy kingdom in the north, and for once, the rulers of the Sea of Magdalen agree: something must be done. But can Reyna be brave enough to find a way?

Thank you to NetGalley and HMH Books for the opportunity to review this advanced copy for my honest opinion.

Book Boxes, Bookish Merch, Products I love!!

OwlCrate World Of Caraval Special Edition Unboxing

Just a Final 🙂 Warning- LOTS of spoilers below

Overall Rating: ****

Value: ****

Uniqueness:****

I am so so so excited for the release of Finale!!!! I want to set aside all of the other books in my TBR list to start reading right away! These books always leave me needing to know what happens next! I am forcing myself to finish off the two books I am currently reading before I can dive in…. so probably will be my weekend treat!!!

Now without further ado! The unboxing of the World of Caraval Special Edition box from OwlCrate.

What was all included in the box:

  • LeeLoo’s Bath Steamer-I could smell this thing outside of the box and it was wonderful!!
  • Enamel Pin by Alchemy and Ink. There were actually three different version of this pin inspired by the book covers that you could have received.
  • Book Tin from Stella Bookish Art that features quotes from all three books.
  • Citrus and Sea Salt Scented Candle by Rose and Adder
  • Throw Pillow Case designed by Catarina Book Designs
  • Tote Bag designed by Evie Bookish
  • Art Prints depicting scenes fro Caraval and Finale
  • Deck of Playing Cards inspired by the Deck of Destiny… this might be my favorite item in the box, after the book of course.
  • Finale with Exclusive OwlCrate Alternate cover!!! I love this alternate cover so much, especially since I am not a purple fan!!

I believe there are still some unsigned books or boxes with unsigned books available on OwlCrate’s website.

I did give this box 4 starts instead of 5 as I didn’t feel the items really warranted the higher cost, I might be spoiled with how many items are usually in the monthly OwlCrate boxes, but I didn’t feel I received a whole lot of extra. Also aside from the cover art the book doesn’t have any exclusive content so I will still need to purchase a Barnes & Noble Exclusive version of the book if I want the extra chapter from Legends perspective. I don’t enjoy having multiple copies of the same book, so I will wait and see how much I love the book before deciding if I really really need the extra content.

How do you feel about the series??? Let me know in the comments below, and of course Spoiler warnings please!!!