Review: Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young

Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, however I opted to listen to the final production version of the audiobook.  I've also purchased a copy of the e-book since publication.  As always all opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this.  This is mainly told from the perspectives of the two main characters Emery and August, but there are additional perspectives of a few of the other characters that play a large part in the plot.  The audiobook has a full cast narration, which I really enjoyed.  It was nice having a unique voice for each of the player.

This follows Emery and really the town of Saiorse in the wake of a devastating fire and murder that occurred 14 years ago.  The orchard that the town is famous for has recovered, but the people have never forgotten what happened that night.  Emery's boyfriend at the time, August was accused of murdering her best friend but they were never able to prove it.  August left the island town after being branded a murderer, but he has returned to bury is mother's ashes.  August doesn't want any trouble, but his appearance in town uncovers secrets, lies, and betrayals that hold the truth about what really happened that night.

I really enjoyed the mix of magic and mystery held within the pages of this book.  The magical aspect played well into the character development and the plotline.  It is atmospheric and you really feel the island almost come to life with the little things that occur throughout the book and the rituals that the people of the island practice.  I really enjoyed trying to piece together what happened to Lily and who murdered her.  I'll admit I had it figured out before the reveal but I think the author did a good job tangling up all of the storylines to keep you turned around until it was time for the truth to come out.  I love a mystery book that gives you just enough information to ask "Was it this person", "What about this scenario" and that keeps you guessing.  This delivered.  

If you are looking for an entertaining mystery that has a bit of magic, give this a listen.  I hardly put it down once I started.

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Review: Wild is the Witch by Rachel Griffin

Wild is the Witch by Rachel Griffin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I received an ARC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.  This book releases on August 2, 2022.

I loved The Nature of Witches and was so excited to see that the author had written another book. This is not a sequel, the magic system is different and there is no character overlap between this book and the previous book. You can read them both independently, however if you have read and enjoyed The Nature of Witches, I think you will very much enjoy this one as well.

The book is set in current times where witches are a part of society and not hidden away. They have a governing body that dictates the rules and laws regarding the use of magic. People are still hesitant to welcome witches into their lives because they have seen what some of the rule breakers have done. Our main character Iris was present when her best friend cast a spell that broke tons of rules and it did not end well. Iris was unable to stop her friend from performing that spell and it changed her life forever. Now Iris and her mom run an animal sanctuary, and life is good. No one knows that they are witches and Iris gets to do what she loves. The only hiccup in her daily routine is Pike, an annoying intern working at the sanctuary. As a way to vent her frustrations, Iris performs a ritual where she casts spells and curses giving them to the earth never to be unleased. Well as you can imagine Pike finally gets on her nerves and she casts a curse for him, but it gets cast onto an owl instead of dispelled into the earth. The owl is a sacred bird that can amplify magic, and Iris will be in a whole world of trouble if her curse in unleashed on Pike.

In an attempt to undo her mistake, Iris and Pike set out to collect the owl from the forest. During their time together they have to learn to work together and put some of their differences aside. With nothing to do other than to get to know each other, they quickly realize that there is more to the other person than they thought.

This was a fun YA romance with witches. It is also fairly clean with no sex and only a bit of kissing. I thought the character development was good. Iris was constantly worrying and in her head, and Pike was constantly trying to get her out of it. It touches on what it is like to live with anxiety and fear of losing everything. Pike was constantly trying to be Mr-Know-It-All, when Iris had to correct him without letting it slip that she was a witch. Their dynamic while frustrating at times was fun to watch develop. I enjoyed their banter. The worldbuilding was great, I really enjoyed the time spent in the forest, as I also enjoy that setting myself and felt like I was there with them. The magic system isn't overly complex and I thought the author did a good job explaining how it works.

I really enjoyed this and look forward to reading more from the author!

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Review: Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert

Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an audio arc of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

I loved this book!  I'll be 100% honest, I did not care for The Hazel Wood, and it honestly only just occured to me that the same author wrote both books.   This is a tad dark, but still fits in the YA bucket.  

I'm normally not a fan of alternating timelines, but this is an example of how to do it right.  This follows Ivy and her mother Dana through some mysterious events.  Ivy's POV is told in the present day while Dana's POV is told in the past.  Eventually the POVs meet up in the present as secrets and lies are uncovered and  Ivy learns about things that Dana and her beloved Aunt Fe were part when they were teens.  

I thought the magic was well explained as the girls (Fe and Dana) learn to use their natural gifts as well as those they develop with their friend Marion.  I thought the character development was great and the world building was well done.  Albert did a great job with the creep factor when it was needed and definitely gave this book a little bit of a horror vibe.  

This book has all of the things I'm looking for, it has a little bit of a mystery element, the pacing was good, the narrators were great, I enjoyed all of the characters, the plot was creative and engaging.  I didn't want to stop listening to this!  If you are looking for a quick read this summer I highly recommend this!

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Review: Omens Bite by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

Omens Bite by P.C. Cast
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this from Wednesday Books an imprint of St Martin's Press) via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

I'm really enjoying this series, so far and I'm lookin forward to the next book. I'm not sure how many books are in the series but it is at minimum a trilogy if not more. This picks up where Spells Trouble leaves off, so I don't recommend reading this as a standalone. Mercy and Hunter are both still grieving the loss of their mother and events from the first book have split the twins sisterly bond. They spend much of the book angry at one another and acting like petulant teenagers. I did find myself rolling my eyes at some of their outbursts because they are so immature, but given that they are only 16 their actions and attitudes make perfect sense. Neither one of them is willing to take responsibility for their actions when it comes to her her sister, however they do take responsibility for their actions when said sister is not in the picture. I can see this not appealing to a more adult audience and appealing more to a YA audience.

The twins are both determined to continue in their mother's footsteps and protect the gateways, which have started to weaken. Torn by their grief and resent for one another, they are both determined to find a way to heal the trees that act as gateways to the other realms. Mercy has stayed true to her path as a Green Witch, while Hunter has taken a much darker path after pledging herself to the goddess Amphitrite. The more Hunter learns about her new goddess the more she comes to feel she has made a huge mistake in forsaking Tyr, the god she had previously pledge herself to.

We see alot of character development from both sisters in this as long as they aren't together. Hunter is on a dark path making questionable choices at the behest of Amphitrite to save herself, the gates, and the town. Mercy is coming into her powers and learning to stand on her own two feet. The second they get within 2 feet of each other all of that progress vanishes and they snipe at one another about how self centered and selfish one another is. There is clearly some resentment the two of them will have to work through before the end of the story, but it doesn't happen in this book. I expect it will come in the next installment as Mercy has found herself in quite the predicament and Xena and Hunter have to find her and rescue her. I enjoyed the side characters in this as well. There is a good supporting cast for both Mercy and Hunter to lean on and the villians are equally devious. I'm looking forward to seeing how things play out in the next installment. There are quite a few things left unresolved.

I enjoyed the magic system and world building. The setting is well described and you have a good idea of how the magic works. I especially enjoyed the touch of mythology that the authors chose to add to the story. I thought the Land of the Dead scenes were really well done and very creative.

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Release Blitz Serendipity by Kristen Proby

 

Serendipity by Kristen Proby is now live!

 

From New York Times Bestselling Author, Kristen Proby, comes Serendipity, the final installment in her gripping Bayou Magic series...

My sight is a gift and also a curse. It cost me the love of my life. We may have been young, but some things you don't get over. Like being the cause of the biggest tragedy of your boyfriend's life. It's something I'll never forget, and a reflection of who I am.

But now that Jackson's back in town, with scars and a hero's badge of honor, it's time for me to be brave, too.

A malevolent evil hell-bent on making my sisters and me pay for rebuffing him is still stalking my family, and some ancient writings portended that the six were the only ones who could defeat him.

Jackson Pruitt and I round out that magical number, which means I have to face the evil and the things Jack makes me feel, to save my family and my city.

I never sought to reconnect with Jack. Working with him now means opening myself up to my feelings for him.

Refusing means destruction for us all.

 

Download today on Amazon, Apple Books, Audible, Kobo, Barnes & Noble!

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Nook: https://bit.ly/3wRQ7s4

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Narrated by: Samantha Brentmoor, Jason Clarke, & Lee Samuels

 

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3ySYx4a

 

Start the series for FREE with Shadows!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3DzZLne

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Meet Kristen

Kristen Proby has published more than forty titles, many of which have hit the USA Today, New York Times and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists. She continues to self publish, best known for her With Me In Seattle and Boudreaux series, and is also proud to work with William Morrow, a division of HarperCollins, with the Fusion and Romancing Manhattan Series.


Kristen and her husband, John, make their home in her hometown of Whitefish, Montana with their two cats.

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Review: Serendipity by Kristen Proby

Serendipity by Kristen Proby
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC, all opinions are my own.

This is the final installment of the Bayou Magic series. While I think you could read this as a standalone, I do highly recommend reading the previous books in the series first. There is quite a bit of background information that you would want to know before diving into this story. The author does do a good job giving you enough to go on, but to get the full picture of what is going on with Horace and everyone else in the story you'd want to start with Shadows and then Spells.

Like the other books this focuses on one of the Landry Sisters and her beloved. If you've read the other books you will remember Daphne and Jackson and their love-hate relationship. We aren't sure why Daphne is mad at Jack, but we know there is a history there, in this installment we learn what happened between them and how they will find their way back to each other. Daphne, Millie, and Brielle have been battling their father Horace for the last few years and he is back to his evil ways. They thought they had more time before they had to banish him for good, but he is powerful and he's found a way back to the mortal plane to practice his gruesome ways and torment his daughters. This time he has chosen to focus his efforts on Daphne who is terrified of him.

As Daphne and Jackson spend more time together, their romance reignites and their powers grow stronger. They also start spending more time with the other 2 couples. It is important that the 6 work together to defeat Horace, and they use all of the resources at their disposal to figure out how they can banish him for good. They have to use all of their unique gifts as well as gifts from other talented witches if they want to win the fight between good and evil. I thought the spells and powers were all really unique and the magic was well explained.

This installment is a little more graphically violent than book 2, but a little less so than book 1. Horace is back to torturing people so if you didn't enjoy that in book 1 I'd skim or skip those paragraphs. As a horror reader, I've read worse, the scenes aren't really that bad, but I feel like fair warning should be given if you aren't a fan of gore at all.

I really loved this series and I think the author has done a great job branching out into the PNR genre. I'm really excited to see what she comes up with next.

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Review: Forestborn by Elayne Audrey Becker

Forestborn by Elayne Audrey Becker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

If you are looking for a new and creative YA fantasy check this out. This is centered around a pair of siblings who are able to shift forms. They were orphaned as children and taken in by a gracious king after surviving in the wild and magical forest on their own. A vague prophecy leads to the general populace distrusting Rora and her brother Helos despite the king giving them his protection. When a magical plague begins attacking non-magical people, specifically the king's younger son, Rora, Helos and the king's elder son Weslyn take off on a quest to barter with giants for a cure. This quest will take them back to the forest of Rora's nightmares, where her mother abandoned her, and her father and village were slaughtered. On top of their quest to save the prince and the people from the plague, they must find the cure before war breaks out. There are 3 rulers in the land and King Jol has decided to eradicate magic land completely, and he has given the other rulers an ultimatum to join him or go to war. Rora and her group must avoid Jol’s men on their quest or face their wrath.

This has everything you want from a fantasy. It has great world building as the cast of characters traverses through the forest which is as much a characters as Rora, Helos, and Wes are. You never know what the forest is going to throw at them next. The beasts of the forest were so creative and perfect for a fantasy like this. We get a lot of character development on Rora, she goes through quite a lot on this book and has to deal with not only the current situation but trauma from her past as well. I expect we will see her continue to grow as the series progresses. I also expect to see more development from Wes and Helos as well, we see a bit of development as we get to know Wes, but as Rora is the main character the focus of development is on her.

There is a mild romance forming between two of the main characters, but it isn't really relevant to the plot. I could have done without it, but I'm anxious to see if and how it progresses in the next book. I’m kind of on the fence with it right now. I went into this book thinking it was a standalone, but as I approached the last 100 pages or so I realized there was no way it could wrap up without being rushed. Turns out it is atleast a duology. I’m very much looking forward to book two as Rora, Helos, and Wes all have their own burdens to bear and battles to fight. I look forward to seeing how they tackle the political issues with Jol and the fantasy issues with magic trying to find a place to take root as Jol tries to destroy it. For a debut this was fantastic and I only expect the storyline to get stronger!

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Review: Star Eater by Kerstin Hall

Star Eater by Kerstin Hall
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This book is not for the faint of heart. There are some fairly grisly moments in this book. If blood, zombies, or cannibalism bother you in any way, this is not going to be the book for you. I believe this is an adult book, but the characters and tropes feel very YA. You've got an interesting magic system, a chosen one, a rebellion, political intrigue, and a awkward romance.

I'm torn on how to rate this. There were parts that I enjoyed and parts that I felt were under developed. I was provided an audio copy via Netgalley and it is over 15 hours long. That is fairly long for an audiobook, and I felt that it dragged on in places without moving the plot along or answering my questions about what was happening and why. I had to keep going back and re-listening to parts because I felt like I missed something, only to discover that I had not missed anything. I did enjoy the narrator, and felt she did a good job distinguishing between the various characters. There are lots of characters to keep track of, and having a unique voice for each of them made it easier to distinguish them all and keep them straight while listening.

This book had so much potential, but I was confused for most of the book. The premise of the magic system is really unique and interesting, but it isn't explained until about 80% into the book. Even at that point the source of the magic isn't clearly explained, but you at least get some explanation as to how the sisterhood obtained their magic and how the island ended up in the air. There was a general lack of explanation for many of the functional concepts of this world and the lack of world building really is a let down for me. I think my main issue with this is that there were too many plot lines and none of them were developed enough for my liking. It wasn't until the 80% mark of the book that we finally get some answers to things that should have been brought up in the first few chapters.

The book is based on a matriarchal society where a sisterhood of magical women basically run everything on an island floating in the air. As I mentioned we don't come to know why the island was raised from the lands below until almost the end of the book. The sister all have magic called lace, but to maintain their power they must consume the blood and flesh of their mothers in a ritualistic fashion. Sisters are martyred at a certain point to fuel the magic of the rest of the sisterhood. To continue the bloodlines, sisters are forced to have sex with criminals because the act of sex turns men into bloodthirsty haunts aka zombies. Again we don't find out why until the very end of the book.

As stated earlier, I was provided an audio ARC via Netgalley and all opinions stated are my own.

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Review: The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin

The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via Netgalley, all opinions expressed are my own.

I really loved this from the first page to the last! I really enjoyed the magic system and the witches being part of society instead of hidden amongst it. I also liked the concept of witches being a sort of climate control, and the fact that this touches on real world environmental issues that we face today. I thought that was a creative way to tell the story and create the magic system.

I thought the magic system was well explained and fairly straightforward. We have seasonal magic, where a witch has power from one of the four seasons, with the exception of Clara who is an Ever. She can access all four seasons. Clara's magic is a little more complicated and confusing than everyone else, mainly because she is the only Everwitch and the last one lived 200 years ago. Not much is known about them and what they can do. As she learns about her power, so do we.

I thought the worldbuilding was well done, which is not something you typically get a ton of in a more urban fantasy type of book. Books set in the real world versus a fictional world don't tend to spend a ton of time describing the scenery, but I thought the author did a good job with it here. Because the magic is connected to nature and most of it is done outside, I think that the descriptions of what was happening really helped paint the picture of what Clara and the other students were able to do with their magic.

This was a great YA fantasy. It has a sweet romance and a ton of self-discovery. This has great side characters. They played an integral part in Clara's character development and were great friends to her even when she tried to push them away. I don't think Clara would have ever gotten control of her magic and accepted it had it not been for Paige and Sang. She finally came to terms with the grief over the loss of her loved ones and the responsibility she has by being the only one of her kind.

If you like urban fantasy, magical schools, witches, I'd give this a read. I really loved it!

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Review: The Physick Book Of Deliverance Dane

The Physick Book Of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I listened to the audiobook of this after reading The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs. After fininishing Temperance Hobbs I discovered that there was another book. While you don't need to read this one first, they both stand on their own, I recommend reading this one first as it gives a great back story on now Connie and Sam meet and tells Deliverance's story which is something I was missing in the other book. Little did I know she had an entire book devoted to her back story.

This is a wonderful nod to the Salem Witch trials and the craze that occurred in the 1690's. Howe does a wonderful job blending the historical information with fiction in this book. I love how she too real accounts and people and blended them in with her tale. It is very well done.

This follows Connie Goodwin, a promising history graduate student at Harvard. Her advisor is keen on her finding a primary source for the paper she is going to write. Connie is called upon by her mother, a free spirit living in Arizona, to sell her grandmother's very old, very odd house. What Connie uncovers while she is cleaning up the house for sale is the old family bible and a key with a name attached to it. This discovery leads her on a literal witch hunt to find a women who she believes is not only her ancestor but was also persecuted as a witch. She soon finds that Deliverance Dane was a healer and known to have a physick book. This could be Connie's primary source for her research. Unfortunately strange things start to happen as Connie tries to find the book. Connie is forced to accept that her family may have gifts that she was unaware of or unwilling to see in order to save the man she's come to care about.

I really enjoyed this and I'm glad I went back to read this after reading the 2nd book. I highly recommend the series if you like magical realism, witch lore, and historical fiction.


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Review: The Shadowglass by Rin Chupeco

The Shadowglass by Rin Chupeco
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

You know, I read this a while ago but realized I never posted my review.  It was all ready to go but was sitting in draft all this time. 

I listened to the audiobook for the 3rd and final installment of The Bone Witch series and it was very well done.  The first and second book were on the longer side, and these are slower paced fantasy books.  If you like faster paced fantasy books but this series still sounds interesting I say give the audio a try, it's worth it.

This was the perfect ending to the series. As we alternate between the perspectives of the Bard and Tea, the full story is finally revealed. This story has slowly been unfolding since The Bone Witch, but all of those unanswered questions and loose threads finally come together in this final installment and we finally come to find out why Tea was exiled and what her true purpose is.

This installment alternates again between the past and the present telling Tea's story. In the present it appears that she is still intent on revenge and destruction. In the past she is the obedient Asha who is trying to save those she cares about, fall in love, and save the world from unruly demons. Along her travels she uncovers some interesting information about the history of Asha and their magic that causes Tea to begin to question things. I don't want to spoil anything because you just have to read it to find out what happens. I also love the relationships that were developed in this. There are so many great friendships and relationships developed in this book.

This story is full of legends and magic and characters you can't help but love. I really loved how this all came together and I'm really satisfied with the ending. This was such a satisfying conclusion to such a wonderful series.

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Review: Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review.  This book comes out tomorrow, September 3, 2019.

This started out a bit slow for me pacing wise, but the story was interesting so I stuck with it. I'm glad I did because it picks up at around the 40% mark and keeps going from there. I will say I did not appreciate the cliffhanger at the end, but I am very much looking forward to the next book!

This book has a bit of everything magic, witches, religious persecution, action, romance, drama, and friendship. I really enjoyed it and felt it was well crafted and entertaining. It follows Louise, a very rough thief happens to be a witch in hiding. Witches are hunted by the church and burned at the stake. The Archbishop leads the charge against witches and witchcraft claiming they are demons and must be rid from the world. His protege Captain Reid Diggory is very pious and successful Chasseur, aka witch hunter. Reid crosses patch with Lou several times before they find themselves married to save Reid and the church from an embarrassing situation. Lou must hide her true identity even closer because she will surely burn if they find out a witch is living in church.

As you can imaging Reid and Lou develop a hate to love relationship. While they are figuring out their situation, Lou is not only hiding her identity from her new husband she is also hiding from her mother. Her mother happens to be the head of the witch coven that is trying to take down the church and the royal family, but she needs Lou to do it. Lou has to decide if she can trust Reid with her secret in order to protect herself or if she can continue hiding under his nose and hope her mother doesn't find her.

In addition to her budding romance, Lou has a great best friend in Coco, another witch in hiding. She is a a blood witch while Lou sees patterns of magic and her magic requires some sort of sacrifice to keep the balance. Coco and Lou have a great friendship and I hope we get a bit more of Coco's backstory in the next book. Lou also develops an unlikely friend in Ansel, a Chasseur in training and her personal guard. In the end, Lou will need all of her allies and convince them that most witches are just regular people if she is going to survive her mother's plans and not find herself burning at the stake.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and I'm looking forward to the next book. This fantasy is heavier on the romance. I like the magic system and ended up really loving the characters.

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Review: The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs by Katherine Howe

The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs by Katherine Howe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an advanced copy of this book via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.  This was released on June 24, 2019.

I really enjoyed this book. It has a bit of historical fiction, a bit of magic, and some interesting family dynamics. I didn’t realize this was the 2nd book in a series, having said that this book can be read as a standalone. It 100% stands on its own. Knowing that there is another book about Deliverance Dane I want to go read that now after reading this. I certainly didn’t need to read The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane to follow along with this but I want to know more about this family of magical ladies.

This book follows Connie Goodwin as she navigates her busy life as a Professor at Northeastern trying to get tenure, a mentor to graduate students and doctoral candidates, writing a book, a friend, a daughter, and a romantic partner to the wonderful Sam. Connie is an expert in magic in the Colonial age of America, but what no one knows is that Connie is the descendent of a long line of women who through the help of tinctures and “recipes” were able to wield power of their own. Connie learns through her mother, Grace that Sam’s life is in danger as none of the men in the family have ever lived. Connie is determined to use her family’s recipe book to solve the age old mystery and save her beloved. In addition to Connie’s perspective, we alternate with the many women who came before her and wielded the magic Connie is trying to uncover. As we learn their stories, we come to meet Temperance Hobbs and come to understand why she was so important.

This book is so well researched. I love a good story with magic and Howe did an amazing job weaving in the history of the different time periods into the story. I also loved getting to know about the life of the doctorate candidate and a college professor. I really liked the writing style and character development in this book. I really loved the characters and their interactions. We have some great female friendships, a good healthy romance, a good mother daughter relationship. None of these relationships are perfect, but they are all written realistically. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.


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Review: Kingsbane by Claire Legrand

Kingsbane by Claire Legrand
Narrated by Fiona Hardingham
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I felt like this was a good sequel. I listened to the audiobook, but I was also provided with an ARC via Edelweiss for review. The narrator was amazing and she brought life to all of the characters in such a spectacular way. I highly recommend the audio because this book is long and much like with Furyborn the pacing was off in places. I find that audiobooks tend to help with pacing issues, especially with very large books.

This picks up where Furyborn left off, but we still haven’t gotten back to the opening bit in Furyborn where Rielle falls. I still have lots of unanswered questions, in fact after Kingsbane I think I have more unanswered questions. I hope that those will get answered in the next installment as I feel like we are getting there slowly. Much like in Furyborn we are still following the back and forth perspectives of Rielle and Eliana as they navigate their power and their place in the war and politics of their respective times. There are also some other perspectives randomly thrown in throughout the book. Some of them are valuable, while I felt others didn’t really lend much to the story.

A downfall of this series is that the books are much too long. Legrand's writing is getting better and better as she continues to hone her craft, but I feel like there were far too many verbose scenes that while written well didn't really add to the plot advancement. I think that is just the author's style, she is very descriptive and sections of the book are repetitive. That being said, there is a lot going on in this book but I’m still not clear where it is heading. I’d like a bit more on the magic system, I’m still not clear on castings and why some people need them and some don’t. We did get an explanation on the angels and the saints and that whole situation. I appreciated that. I’m still not really clear on the political motivations of any particular character anymore and I’m not sure if that is by design or if that is because I missed something. At the end of this book I kind of just felt overwhelmed and confused, I think that is because the ending felt rushed and after a 500+ page book that should not be the case. I’m looking forward to the next book and I’m hoping all will become clear in the final installment of this trilogy. I’m looking forward to seeing how things play out for our two leading ladies as things have shifted for both of them. We have started to see Rielle’s fall from grace and Eliana has begun to embrace her power but things are not going according to the original plan. I’m also really interested in seeing what part Corien plays in each of their stories as this all plays out.

I also have a big problem with this series being marketed as a YA, it is not. It is an adult fantasy series. A huge pet peeve of mine is when characters are teenagers and a series is labeled YA, I don’t care what their age is it is their actions and the content that should be considered when marketing a book to specific age groups not the age of the characters alone. I think there is a line that should be maintained when it comes to sex and violence in YA vs. adult fantasy and this is clearly adult. There are some questionable scenes in this book that while I can roll my eyes at them and say it’s just a book or that’s not OK in real life, young readers may not be ready for that content or may not want to read those scenes just yet. Again that’s just my opinion.


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Review: Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand

Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review.  This came out in early October.  I know this is up a little late, but alteast I got to it.  A month late isn't too bad.

The plot follows three different perspectives, four if you count the perspective of "the Rock", Zoey, Marion, and Val. Zoey is the police chief's daughter, she has recently lost her best friend in a mysterious disappearance and she is determined to find out what happened to her. Marion is the new girl on the island, her father has recently died and her sister mysteriously disappears shortly after they arrive. Val is the beautiful and affluent girl that Marion's family came to work for, but Val's family has a dark secret tied to all of the disappearances on the island. The girls are ultimately connected and not just because the island of Sawkill Rock is small and everyone knows everyone. As girls keep disappearing, Zoey and Marion discover that they have developed supernatural powers, but they aren't sure why. Val and her family have been connected to the disappearance and legend of The Collector for generations. Val wants no part of it, but she can't seem to see a way out of the part she's been destined to play. As she fights the Collector's wishes, she too develops a power. Zoey, Marion, and Val eventually figure out that they have to use their "gifts" to fight the monster.

Meanwhile, Zoey's dad the chief of police also happens to be a member of a misogynistic cult. The cult is tasked with banishing the monsters around the world like Sawkill's Collector. Their methods are brutal, and involve the girls dying to make the monster go away temporarily. The girls aren't having it. Each of them is strong willed, smart, and doesn't want to die. They are all fighters and want to go down swinging. The Hand of Light was irritating, and you really just wanted them to go away anytime they came around.

As for The Collector, I really wanted him to be more scary. He was creepy sure, but he wasn't scary. He was kind of just a jerk, who happened to be a monster.

This tackles some real world subjects and decent representation. I thought this was done very well. There is an African American character who is also asexual. Asexuality is discussed, not just glossed over. There is a real discussion on how that does and may impact a romantic relationship in the future in a very realistic way. There is a lesbian relationship between two of the main characters. When the characters say and do hurtful things to each other it is addressed, and they don't kiss and make up two seconds later. They stay mad, all is not forgiven, just like in the real world. Emotions are justified, discussed, validated, maybe they move on, but they atleast accept that things are not OK and that life is ugly sometimes.

Overall, I thought this was an entertaining YA read. It is more mystery than horror or thriller. I wanted more scare factor, but I liked it anyway. I really enjoyed the writing style and the plot. Overall, it felt a little long and I felt like I wanted to know more about the mythology and magical elements in the book. I wanted more about the Rock and more from the perspective of the Rock. I think the parts from the Rock's perspective were actually my favorite. Those chapters were extremely poetic and I really loved them.

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Review: Rule by Ellen Goodlett

Rule by Ellen Goodlett
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this. It follows the perspectives of 3 sisters, who find out they are the bastard daughters of the ailing king. They have each been raised in very different lifestyles and each have different experiences and opinions of the kingdom their father rules. This has been compared to Three Dark Crowns, and I can see where that comparison comes from, however the sisters eventually come together to thwart a common enemy. They are all pitted against each other, as the king must eventually choose one of them to be his heir, but as each of them is being blackmailed for some sin they've committed in their past, they must unravel the mystery of their blackmailer to figure out who is at the heart of the blackmail. This is not as dark and sinister as Three Dark Crowns, and the sisters so far are not trying to murder each other. So this is very much it's own story. I thought I had it figured out, but the twist at the end totally threw me so know I don't have a clue whodunit. The cliffhanger at the end left me wanting to know what is going to happen next and I'm very much anticipating the next book.

I liked the magic system in Rule, each person must call upon magic in their blood to perform tithes to perform different magical acts. I feel like this could have been developed a little better because it is very much a part of the story and the dark side of the magic is mentioned quite often and also a significant part of the plot. I hope to see the magic system developed more in the next book. I wanted to know so much more about it.

Each of the sisters has a romantic relationship, and each is troubled by something. I would have liked a bit more character development especially with the side characters. I think that would have helped strengthen the plot a bit and move things along. I think because we switch POV's each chapter we don't get to know any particular set of characters as much as I would have liked. We do get to know the sisters well enough, I just wanted more.

Overall, I really did enjoy this and I'm looking forward to the next book.  This was exactly what I needed to pull me out of my reading slump.

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Review: The Heart Forger by Rin Chupeco

The Heart Forger by Rin Chupeco
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review.  This book will be released on March 20th, but I've seen people post that its already out in some stores. 

This sequel picks up where The Bone Witch left off. However, I struggled with past material. There isn't much mention of past events. A sentence or two about what the daeva look like or what they are, who some of the characters are would have been helpful. Most readers including myself read The Bone Witch over a year ago, so unless you just read it and continued onto The Heart Forger with the information fresh in your mind you'd be asking yourself who and what they are talking about. The author does not give many context clues and I found myself going back to my copy of the first book to look up information. I also struggled with the dialog, some of that was the formatting of the ARC, I can't hold that against the book because that will get fixed in editing. While the final ebook and the print copies won't have this issue, I often lost track of which character was speaking. There are alot of characters involved and the author often leaves out mention of who is talking. Overall, those complaints are very minor and I really enjoyed this. I actually liked it more than the first book. I found the first book's pace to be very slow, you can check out my review here.  The first book set up alot of the world, the magic system, and the characters, while this one gets more to the plot.  Chupeco's pacing is slower in this book as well, but that is not a bad thing.  I enjoyed the writing and the magic. 

The Heart Forger has much more action than The Bone Witch. We get most of the back story on why Tea was exiled, but we don't get all of it.  Some of the story is left for the next installment. We get enough to understand her motivations. The story is told like it was in the first book, alternating chapters between Tea's perspective in the past and the current perspective of the Bard who she's brought along to chronicle the truth of what she's doing to right the wrongs of the past. In the present, Tea along with her deava, or demon like creatures, she intends to take revenge on those who betrayed her and sent her into exile. We learn that all is not what it seems through the telling of the story. Tea is portrayed as an anti-hero through most of the Bard's scenes, and you truly believe she has given over to the dark side of her magic until the end. In the past, we see Tea as a young asha, a kind of Geisha and witch, who is impulsive and strong willed. She acts before she thinks and pays the consequences later. She is also possesses dark powers and her mentor has taken ill, which is a plot point in the story, and hasn't had much training on her powers. She is powerful and the lure of the dark calls to her and threatens to change her and turn her into something sinister.

As the story unfolds both in the past and the present, Tea is accompanied by familiar faces. She has many friends who are trying to keep her from going dark, and many enemies who would love her to join the dark. The group of asha that accompany Tea on her mission save her mentor and the mystery of the sleeping sickness that has infected the beloved Prince each have their own parts to play in Tea's story. As the group travel they uncover many political plots and fight some pretty good battles. There are plenty of twists and turns that keep you guessing. There are even some pretty good romances that develop among the group.

Overall, I think this was a great fantasy. I can't wait to see where it goes in the next book. Based on where it leaves off it is shaping up to be a fairly epic conclusion. I really think this is a great sequel and I highly recommend the series.

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Review: Sightwitch by Susan Dennard

Sightwitch by Susan Dennard
Narrated by Bahni Turpin (Narrator), Saskia Maarleveld (Narrator), Cassandra Campbell (Narrator), Lauren Fortgang(Goodreads Author) (Narrator), MacLeod Andrews (Narrator)
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved learning Ryber's backstory. From the previous two books, you don't know that she has any witch abilities. This tell you the story of the Sightwitches and Ryber's journey as a sightless sister. It also tells the story of how she and Kullen meet. If you haven't read the first two books, you won't know who Kullen is and why their relationship is important. Ryber has been a Sightwitch Sister since she was 4 years old when she began serving the goddess Sirmaya. Ryber has yet to be blessed with the sight, and she is frustrated because she has always followed all of the rules of the temple and worked very hard to be chosen. It isn't until she finds that all of the sisters have been called into the mountain for service by the goddess and Ryber is left alone that she begins to uncover her unique gift sight. Her gift isn't the same as the other sisters, and she is the only one who can save them from the fate they have been called to. I won't spoil it. On her mission to save her sisters, Ryber runs into Kullen, a Nubrevnan Navy Captain, he has amnesia and they must work together to face the challenges inside the mountain to find the sisters and the way out. A connection forms between the two of them, which you learn more about in Truthwitch.

This gives so much information on the Witchlands, the history of what is going on in the lands, what has happened in the past, and what is yet to come in the story. While this is only a novella and it the main focus is on Ryber and her journey to save her threadsister we learn so much about so many other things in this short little book. I expect we will see more of Ryber in the next installment, especially given what we've learned in this little gem. I have so many conspiracy theories as I wait for Bloodwitch. Unfortunately that won't be out until early next year so I'll just have to be patient.

I listened to the audio and there are multiple narrators. Cassandra Campbell and Bahni Turpin are always amazing. There is a full cast which adds so much to the audio experience. I highly recommend it. This is told in the form of journal entries and other documents so the timeline isn't linear, and it does jump back and forth between a few different perspectives. Using different voices for the various characters helped keep track of who and what time you were listening to.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and can't recommend it enough. Dennard's writing and character development just keeps getting better. This novella is much more focused on one character and plot line and I really enjoyed it. I can't wait to see where the cast of characters takes us in the future.

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Review: Windwitch by Susan Dennard

Windwitch by Susan Dennard
Narrated by Cassandra Campbell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This review is long overdue.  I recently listened to Sightwitch,which prompted me to finally get this posted.  That review will be up soon.  Cassandra Campbell is quickly becoming one of my go to audio narrators.  I really enjoy her voice acting in this series, and highly recommend anything she narrates. 

This picks up shortly after Truthwitch leaves off. Safi has gone off with the Empress of Marstock to try to use her powers to make a difference. Iseult is alone and determined to find Safi no matter what. The bloodwitch Aeduan is very present and makes an unlikely ally to Iseult.And then there is Merik, everyone is led to believe that the prince is dead leaving his sister Vivia to tend to the people of Nubrevna. There are so many twists and turns that you aren't sure who to trust and who is really on the side of good and evil in this tale. It was quite a ride. I very much enjoyed it.

We follow each of the main characters on their very different journeys as they are all on different adventures. Merik must heal after a devestating accident that leads to his supposed death. He is trying to uncover the darkness that is invading his city and save his people. He knows that there has been a great betrayal, but it may not be at the hands of those he initially suspected. He takes on the persona of the Fury, a merciless god in their culture who rights wrongs. He is aided by Cam, one of the few of his crew to survive the accident at sea. In the meantime, Vivia is on the same path to save the people of Nubrevna, though she struggles to find purchase in a world dominated by men. She is fierce and powerful, but she lacks the respect in the political arena.

Isuelt and Aeduan find themselves partnering through many action packed situations. They are both dealing with internal struggles. Isuelt is learning more about her threadwitch powers and learns that she is not a traditional threadwitch like her mother. She must find herself without Safi, and really comes into her own. Safi is always on her mind, and she never forgets that her goal is to find her threadsister and help her. Aeduan meanwhile is remembering things from his past as he must continue on his mission while also aiding Isuelt who happens to be part of his mission. There are hints at a possible romantic relationship in the future between them, but nothing happens in this book. There is pretty much no romance in this book. If you remember in Truthwitch there is a pretty explosive romance between Safi and Merik toward the end of the book. They spend the entire book pining for each other but driven by duty in Windwitch. They want to get back to each other, but romance will have to take a backseat.

Safi is on her own adventure with the Empress of Marstock. Their ship is attacked they are captured by the Hellbards. Hellbards are kind of like witch police, they can bind a witch's powers and are typically employed by royalty to do their dirty work. Safi is still full of attitude and spunk. She never gives up, but she also grows up quite a bit in this book.

Overall, there is a lot going on here with several different plot lines going on at the same time. I really enjoyed the different plot lines and I felt like they came together really well in the end. Clearly there is more story to tell, and I'm excited to see where Susan Dennard takes us on this adventure. The writing was excellent in my opinion and I've grown to love the characters.  I'm bummed that Bloodwitch won't be out until January 2019.

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Review: Whichwood by Teherah Mafi

Whichwood by Tahereh Mafi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book via Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review.   This is out November 14, 2017.  Thank you to Dutton Books, Penguin Publishing and Edelweiss for providing me with an advanced copy for review.

I really enjoyed this. I really love Mafi's writing style. It is very poetic, and I love the way she tells the story as if she were friends with the characters and was telling the story of their lives. I wasn't sure what to expect from this, but I was so glad to see Alice and Oliver back from Furthermore. If you haven't read Furthermore, you should, but I love that Mafi has written the- story in such a way that she refers back to Alice and Oliver's previous adventures as if you haven't read them before. I LOVE that this book stands on its own two feet and there are enough references to the first book that you don't have to read it to know what's going on. Reading Furthermore certainly helps, but it isn't required.

This was pretty dark. I wouldn't want my 4th grader reading this, I think the imagery is pretty graphic and could be a little scary for younger readers, but then again each reader has their tolerances. As a parent I don't think I'd let my 10 year old read this, I'd wait a bit, maybe the 13+ crowd would be more appropriate.  I know what scares my kids, and the imagery I think would be too much for my young reader, then again I know I was reading pretty dark graphic stuff at a young age.  My parents didn't really censor what I read, only what I watched on TV. The imagery didn't bother me, but I can see how it would disturb some. Futhermore on the other hand would be fine for the 9-12 reader crowd. It was a tad dark and a bit weird, but not scary.  I would let my 4th grader read Futhermore no problem.

The main character, Laylee, is a Mordeshoor, kind of like a magical undertaker. She is responsible for washing the bodies of the dead, her magic makes this process much more reverent than it sounds. The people of Whichwood are very superstitious and don't really understand or respect Laylee or what she and her family have done for them and their loved ones who have passed. The people of the town really take advantage of 13 year old Laylee, not paying her for her work and treating her as an outcast. Laylee is overworked, lonely, tired, when our friends Alice and Oliver enter the story. Alice is tasked with helping Laylee, she doesn't know how or what to do, but she know's something is very wrong with the young Mordeshoor. Oliver is along to help Alice, even though he's not along, but as we learned in the previous book, they never really follow the rules. Laylee doesn't really warm to Alice and Oliver, and she doesn't really feel as if she needs help or as if anything is wrong in her depressing situation. We are also introduced to Laylee's neighbor and would be friend Ben. Ben has seen Laylee deteriorate over time and joins Alice and Oliver in their quest to help Laylee.  They desperately try to save Laylee from whatever is wrong, though it takes them a while to figure out how to really help her.  In the end I found their antics quite entertaining.

I really loved the way the story tackled self-worth, loneliness, decision making, among other things. I really loved the messages within the strange tale and overall really loved this story.