Review: The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green

Series: The Smoke Thieves #1
Publication Day: May 1st 2018
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: The beginning to an epic medieval fantasy trilogy, perfect for Game of Thrones fans. 

A shrewd princess whose father is plotting against her. A brave soldier turned traitor. A loyal servant on a quest to avenge his family. A streetwise demon smoke hunter in desperate need of money. A charming thief with no clue about his true identity. Their lives would never intersect, until a war between kingdoms bubbles up, and the dangerous truth about demon smoke intertwines all their fates. Welcome to The Smoke Thieves, a tangled web of political intrigue, shifting alliances, and forbidden love, in a world where sometimes no amount of magic can keep you safe.

My Rating

4/5 stars

My Review

The Smoke Thieves was a fantastic novel, set in an amazing world that I can't get enough of.

This story is told in the point of view of 5 different characters, while I enjoyed everyones story and character development, I don't think it was necessary for all five characters to have a story in their point of view.
Catherine was definitely my favourite character in the story. She is a princess who is forced to do as the king and her brother tell her to. She is forced to travel to another country to marry a prince she has never met before, even though she would much rather be with her guard Ambrose.
Ambrose is listed as a traitor after killing one of the Prince's guard in order to save his own life. While on the run, Ambrose discovers that the King plans on invading Pitoria, and using his own daughter's wedding as a distraction.
March is a servant, who detests his King for what he has done to the rest of his people and his family. When an opportunity arises to get revenge on his King, March travels to Pitoria to find the King's bastard son, and erase the royal line from existence.
Edyon is the bastard son of the King, the only problem is that he doesn't know it. Even worse, he doesn't know that the handsome stranger that promised to take him to his father, could be actually sending him to his death.
Tash is a demon hunter. Along with her partner Gravell, the two travel across Pitoria slaying demons and stealing their smoke. But selling demon smoke is illegal in Pitoria, and the two hunters must be very careful on who they sell their smoke to.

All of these characters are all very unique, but in a good way. While it was nice to jump from one point of view to another to keep the story interesting, I just found that once the characters met up and were in the same place, it felt a little repetitive on reading the description of the same person from another's point of view and just constantly hearing the same thing over and over again. I think three points of view would have been much better, but I can also see that the author was trying to go for more of a game of thrones style with multiple main characters.

My absolutely favourite part of this book, was definitely the world that Sally Green created. Whenever there is a map at the beginning of the book, I glance at it when I first start to read the book, and then I either forget about it or take a glance once more and just never look at it again. With this book, for some reason I was constantly flipping back to the map just to see where each character was and see if there was a possibility of them meeting up. The world was not only interesting, but very well developed. I could clearly picture all the places, and truly feel like I was a part of the story. 

The pacing of this novel was alright. The beginning was a bit slow, and while there was some action, there was also a lot of slow parts of characters just planning or talking. I definitely felt like parts of this book were unnecessary, and could have been cut out to make the pacing of this book go a little bit faster.

Overall, I loved all the characters in their own way, although I think five point of views were a little bit too much. The world building was fantastic, but the pacing of the story was a little on the slow side. I would still definitely recommend this book to all YA fantasy readers, especially those that love adventure novels. I can't wait to read the next book in this series.

Happy Reading,

Aneta 

Review: Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Series: Legacy of Orisha #1
Publication Date: March 6th 2018
Publisher: Henry Holt books for Young Readers
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zelie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls. 

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were targeted and killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now, Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good. 

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers—and her growing feelings for the enemy.

My Rating

5/5 stars

My Review

“I won't let your ignorance silence my pain” 
Children of Blood and Bone is fantastic, breathtaking and made me fall in love, laugh and cry all within a few pages. I honestly can't even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed this book.

Zelie's mother was taken from her family and murdered by the monarchy along with the rest of the population that could perform magic. Zelie now trains with her staff for a time when the king comes to murder her next. When Zelie's father almost dies trying to earn enough coin to pay for Zelie's tax, Zelie and her brother Tzain, take it upon themselves to travel to Legos to earn more money, but when Zelie leaves the city she not only brings with her a big purse of gold, but also a runaway princess, a magic scroll and a price on her head. As Zelie, Tzain and Amari try to escape with the scroll, Inan, Amari's brother and the prince of Orisha will stop at nothing to bring back his sister and the scroll, and kill the girl that's betrayed her King.

Honestly, this book was so wonderful that I cant find anything to complain about. All four of the main characters were all so different and unique, and while I necessarily didn't love all of them, I definitely was interested enough to read in their point of views and see where the story takes them next. I absolutely loved Zelie and Amari right from the beginning, they are polar opposites at the beginning of the book, but they both have such amazing character development throughout the story. They are relatable, strong and fierce women, I love them both. I loved Tzain just as much as the girls, he is such a kind person and a wonderful brother. Inan on the other hand was not the best, I thought he was very childish and ignorant at times, and while he had his moments where his story was interesting and it almost seemed like he was going to become a good character, in the end I just wasn't that impressed with his character.

The relationships in this book were great. I absolutely love the relationship Zelie has with her brother, they fight, they pull pranks on one another, but in the end they would do anything for each other and care about one another immensely. They truly felt like a real family, and it made me wish that I had a brother and a relationship like this. The romance between Amari and Tzain was also fantastic. They have a sweet, slow burning romance that brings joy to your heart when you read their story. You can just tell that they will make a wonderful couple in the future.

The plot of the story was absolutely perfect. There was action right from beginning to end. The story definitely keeps you on your toes, as there were many instances where something happened that I never would have expected, it made the story change quickly and kept the reader guessing what will happen next.

Surprisingly, as much as I loved this story, I loved the author's note even more. I rarely read the author's note, but I am so glad that I did this time. The author links the fictional world that she created to the real world, and lets just say that what she wrote made me cry. If you're reading this book or you've already finished it and missed the author's note, I definitely suggest giving it a look through.

Overall, this book was amazing. I have no bad words about it. I definitely recommend this book to all young adults and even adults, whether you like fantasy or contemporary, this book is such an important read that I think everyone can find something about it that they will love.

Happy Reading,
Aneta 

Review: Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Cole

Publication Day: March 20th 2018
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Genre: YA, Contemporary 
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: When Marvin Johnson's twin, Tyler, goes to a party, Marvin decides to tag along to keep an eye on his brother. But what starts as harmless fun turns into a shooting, followed by a police raid.

The next day, Tyler has gone missing, and it's up to Marvin to find him. But when Tyler is found dead, a video leaked online tells an even more chilling story: Tyler has been shot and killed by a police officer. Terrified as his mother unravels and mourning a brother who is now a hashtag, Marvin must learn what justice and freedom really mean. 

My Rating

5/5 stars

My Review

Grab a box of tissues and get ready for a waterfall of tears.

Tyler Johnson Was Here is such an important read. I can’t stress it enough. No matter what colour your skin is, or what country you are in, I really think you should give this novel a read, it may change the way you look at the situation.

This book focuses on Marvin as he deals with the disappearance and death of his twin brother Tyler. There are so many important aspects of this book. It talks a lot of police brutality, and the two sides to how people react to it. It also shows just how hard it is to get over the death of a family member, especially when they were murdered.

Marvin is a fantastic main character, and reading from his point of view was great. He is so compassionate and caring, it really breaks your heart just going through the story with him. Seeing his development throughout the story was fantastic, we see just how the events change his perspective on life and what he wants to do with his. He is honest and truthful, and overall makes a wonderful main character.

The plot of the story goes very fast. It’s not a long novel, so if you have the time like I did, you can definitely finish it in one night, and the book is so captivating that I guarantee you won’t want to put it down for long. 

If anything, the only thing I didn’t particularly like in this story was the addition of the romance. While I was glad that Marvin found someone, and that she helped him deal with the pain of losing his brother, it seemed a little forced and while it didn’t make the story any worse, it also didn’t make the story any better. It was just there.

Overall, this book definitely changed my perspective on the situation. As someone who is white, and doesn’t like in the United States, we hear a lot of stories but they never feel as personal as reading from Marvin’s point of view did. I highly recommend this book to all young adults and adults, no matter what genre you usually read.

Happy Reading,

Aneta 

Review: Gunslinger Girl by Lyndsay Ely

Series: Unknown #1
Publication Date: January 2nd 2018
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson 
Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Dystopia 
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: James Patterson presents a bold new heroine--a cross between Katniss Everdeen and Annie Oakley: Serendipity Jones, the fastest sharpshooter in tomorrow's West. 

Seventeen-year-old Serendipity "Pity" Jones inherited two things from her mother: a pair of six shooters and perfect aim. She's been offered a life of fame and fortune in Cessation, a glittering city where lawlessness is a way of life. But the price she pays for her freedom may be too great....
In this extraordinary debut from Lyndsay Ely, the West is once again wild after a Second Civil War fractures the U.S. into a broken, dangerous land. Pity's struggle against the dark and twisted underbelly of a corrupt city will haunt you long after the final bullet is shot.

My Rating

4/5 stars

My Review

Gunslinger Girl was a powerful book set in a dystopian western society. It was so creative and unique, I loved every minute of it.

Pity can't wait for the day she can escape the commune. After her mother's death, Pity has lived a life of being told what to do by her father. When her father returns to town and tells Pity of his plan to sell her off to some stranger because she's "fertile," Pity decides that her escape is either now or never. Pity is taken to Cessation where she is offered a life of fame in the Theatre as Serendipity Jones, the fastest gunslinger in the west, but freedom comes at a price.

This book was not at all what I originally expected, but I fell in love with it nevertheless. Pity is an amazing main character and I just cant get enough of her. She is so strong and smart but she's also very human. She is not always brave and occasionally does the wrong thing, but her character development throughout the book was absolutely exquisite. She becomes stronger and a better woman. I cant wait to read more of her story and what she does next.

The supporting characters in this book were also very unique and engaging. I absolutely loved Max and Selene. Max is definitely the mysterious, artistic, bad boy type with a good heart that you cant help to fall in love with. And Selene is such a strong ruler, but also very loveable at times. The rest of the characters were really interesting as well, although it took me a bit of time to figure out who was who as I got the names confused in the beginning.

The plot of this story was what surprised me the most. I was expecting the typical western, like something out of Back to the Future III, but instead you get a complex dystopian world, that is something you haven't heard about before. The world that Miss Ely created was breathtaking and I absolutely loved it. We got to know the politics and how the country is run, as well as the backstory of what happened to create this dystopian world. I really hope to explore the world a lot more in the future books.

Overall, I loved this book so much, and I can't wait to read more from this series and from this author. I highly recommend this book to all YA Fantasy and Dystopia lovers, this is a book you won't want to miss.

Happy Reading,
Aneta

Review: Rosemarked by Livia Blackburne

Series: Rosemarked #1
Publication Date: November 7th, 2017
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance 
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: A healer who cannot be healed . . .

When Zivah falls prey to the deadly rose plague, she knows it’s only a matter of time before she fully succumbs. Now she’s destined to live her last days in isolation, cut off from her people and unable to practice her art—until a threat to her village creates a need that only she can fill.

A soldier shattered by war . . .

Broken by torture at the hands of the Amparan Empire, Dineas thirsts for revenge against his captors. Now escaped and reunited with his tribe, he’ll do anything to free them from Amparan rule—even if it means undertaking a plan that risks not only his life but his very self.

Thrust together on a high-stakes mission to spy on the capital, the two couldn’t be more different: Zivah, deeply committed to her vow of healing, and Dineas, yearning for vengeance. But as they grow closer, they must find common ground to protect those they love. And amidst the constant fear of discovery, the two grapple with a mutual attraction that could break both of their carefully guarded hearts.

This smart, sweeping fantasy with a political edge and a slow-burning romance will capture fans of The Lumatere Chronicles and An Ember in the Ashes.

My Rating

4/5 stars

My Review

Rosemarked is a beautiful political fantasy novel, with amazing characters, great world building and an incredible plot.

Zivah is a healer, and just as she completes her training she is infected with the Rose Plague. Some people die right away, others are able to fight the plague and go on living their lives, and then there is the Rosemarked. Neither alive nor dead, the Rosemarked continue to live, but they must stay in isolation as they are still highly contagious, until the plague claims their life within a matter of months. Zivah happens to be Rosemarked, and nothing kills her more than not being able to help people, so when an opportunity presents itself where she can go and help other's with the plague she accepts it, only it comes with a cost of bringing Dineas, who's only mission is to take down the Amparan Empire from within.

I instantly fell in love with the whole idea behind this story, its very unique and one that I can't even compare to another series. This book is political, action packed, and has slight hints of magic (if you think of Zivah's healer abilities as magical). The whole idea of the healer helping a soldier forget who he is and bring him into the enemy ranks is extremely creative, and I loved every minute of it.

I absolutely loved Zivah. She's very intelligent and hard working right from the beginning, and as the book goes on we see just how determined she is when she keeps fighting even though the whole world is against her. Usually when people are told they're dying they simply give up, but not Zivah! Whether she's trying to find the cure or save her village, she is always moving forward. She may not be a soldier or a thief, but she is definitely a very strong woman, and someone I would definitely be best friends with in real life. 

The romance between Zivah and Dineas is absolutely perfect. There is no insta-love, and no love triangle. Zivah and Dineas start off on a bad note, and both have impenetrable walls around their hearts. Neither of them was looking for love, but it eventually happens when Dineas loses his memory and is able to forget his painful past. By the end of this book, I was definitely shipping the couple and waiting for moments when they would be together again. 

This book was so close to being perfect, I loved the world, I loved the plaque and I loved the characters. The only thing I didn't like was the ending. While this book didn't have a cliff-hanged ending, it definitely had an ending where it didn't feel like an ending. It didn't feel like the right place to end the book, and when I got to the end I was crying out for more.

Needless to say, I can't wait for the next book to come out. I will definitely be reading it as soon as possible because I need more of Zivah and Dineas.

Happy Reading,
Aneta 

Review: The Traitor's Kiss by Erin Beaty

Series: Traitor's Trilogy 
Publication Date: May 9th 2017
Publisher: Imprint
Genre: YA, Fantasy 
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ Book Depository 

Synopsis: An obstinate girl who will not be married. 
A soldier desperate to prove himself. 
A kingdom on the brink of war.

With a sharp tongue and an unruly temper, Sage Fowler is not what they’d call a lady―which is perfectly fine with her. Deemed unfit for marriage, Sage is apprenticed to a matchmaker and tasked with wrangling other young ladies to be married off for political alliances. She spies on the girls―and on the soldiers escorting them.

As the girls' military escort senses a political uprising, Sage is recruited by a handsome soldier to infiltrate the enemy ranks. The more she discovers as a spy, the less certain she becomes about whom to trust―and Sage becomes caught in a dangerous balancing act that will determine the fate of her kingdom.

My Rating

4/5 stars

My Review

The Traitor's Kiss has a captivating story line, a fearless main character and enough action to keep you reading until the AM.

Yes, I know this book is getting a ton of backlash from many reviewers for offending POC (more about this later in my review). While I don't support this at all, taking colour out of the story, this book was actually really good. The main character is very relatable, and she's the type of independent and tough character that I absolutely love, the romance is ship-worthy and there is tons of action.

Sage Fowler is force to reckon with. She is the exact opposite of what a girl in her society should look and act like. She doesn't like make-up and acting like a helpless girl who needs the help of man. Sage would rather read books or spend time outdoors, she is not afraid to get down and dirty and work for her living. Sage is intelligent, sassy and caring to those who care about her. I absolutely loved her as a main character.

The romance in this story is great. The two main character are able to relate to one another, teach each other new things, and they just compliment each other so well. I was so happy that this book didn't have an insta-love romance, or a love-triangle. I found myself shipping the couple early on in the book and I still do. It was a very well written romance.

The antagonists of the story is where the author made a lot of big mistakes. The author chose to describe the antagonists as "dark" and "darker" which is already offensive enough, but she also went on to say things like "they faded into the shadows" and a lot of stereotyping when it comes to tattoos and such. I was really surprised by reading some of these lines in the story. I feel like the editing team going through this book during its first stages should have pointed it out and changed it. I'm just hoping that Erin has learned from her mistakes (since this is her first published book), and won't do this again in the future.

Overall, it was such an amazing book. I really recommend it, as long as you're able to put colour aside when you read this book. I know its not for anyone, and if you don't want to support the book/author for this reason I completely understand, I just as you not to rate the book (especially on goodreads) without reading it first.

Happy Reading,
Aneta

Review: Acca by Christina Bauer

Series: Angelbound Origins #3
Publication Date: December 13th 2016
Publisher: Monster House Books, LLT
Genre: YA, Fantasy 
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ B&N

Synopsis: In just one week, supernatural warrior Myla Lewis must discover enough evidence to send the evil House of Acca to prison… or she’ll end up in jail herself, along with her fiancé, Prince Lincoln. No pressure.

To gather proof, Myla and Lincoln go undercover at an all-girl’s high school on Earth. Lincoln acts as the new gym teacher; Myla becomes the school’s least popular transfer student ever. To stop them from getting the goods, Acca releases Hell on Earth. Literally. Good thing Myla and Lincoln aren’t afraid of a tough fight. This one promises to be the hardest yet. After all, who ever said high school wasn’t hell?

My Rating

4/5 stars

My Review

Another amazing book in the Angelbound series! This is one of my favourite series and I absolutely cannot wait to read the next book, as well as the last one in the series.

We continue the story basically where Scala left off. After the death of Adair, Aldred goes straight to work to ruin the lives of Myla and Lincoln. This time, while Myla and Lincoln are out gathering evidence to send the House of Acca to prison, all their evidence is stolen and the guard killed. With Myla and Lincoln about to be sent to jail, they manage to escape with the help of Myla's dad and find themselves on Earth. Where they learn that Aldred may be trying to bring back Armageddon for good. Will they be able to clear their names and prevent Armageddon from coming back before its too late?

Being totally honest, I was really worried that this book was not going to be as good at the others in this series. I found that it started out a bit slow, and it was a bit boring in the beginning. I just couldn't read the whole thing, and kept putting the book down. It wasn't till about 60 or 70% into the book where the action and storyline really had me hooked and I just read the rest in one sitting. Usually Christina Bauer is really good with making the whole book exciting, but unfortunately this one wasn't it. 

If you have read the previous books in this series, definitely give this one a chance. Once you get past the beginning, the ending is definitely worth it. I would read the whole book over again just to get to that part.

If you haven't read the first books, I definitely recommend reading those first. This is a fantastic series for all fans of fantasy and action. Take my word for it, you will love it.

Happy Reading,
- Aneta

Review: Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

Series: Red Queen #2
Publication Date: February 9th 2016
Publisher: HarperTeen
Genre: YA, Dystopia, Fantasy
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ B&N

Synopsis: If there’s one thing Mare Barrow knows, it’s that she’s different.

Mare Barrow’s blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control. 

The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors. 

But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat. 

Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?

The electrifying next installment in the Red Queen series escalates the struggle between the growing rebel army and the blood-segregated world they’ve always known—and pits Mare against the darkness that has grown in her soul.

My Rating

5/5 Stars

My Review

“Anyone, anything, can betray anyone. Even your own heart.” 

After the ending of Red Queen, I was dying to get my hands on this book just to find out what happens next. Yet on the other hand, I was afraid that if I read it right away, I'll be mad at myself for reading it so fast and having to wait for the next book to come out. So obviously I didn't listen to myself, picked it up right away, and then hated myself in the end. Why must you do this to me Victoria Aveyard?

While I was reading this book, I had the intent of giving it four stars. I loved loved loved Mare in the first book, but now she has become one of my favourite characters of all time. She is so sophisticated, thoughtful and determined, she's very inspiring to read about. She obviously has her problems, but they are problems that I can very much relate to. Trusting someone is very hard, especially once you've given someone your complete trust and they just throw you to the shitter. I was really proud of her for being so strong, and for holding it all in.

I wasn't really impressed at the action in the beginning of the book, I found it to be quite slow and it made me not want to read the book as much. But please don't be discouraged, once the action starts picking up, it REALLY picks up. Within a matter of chapters, you go from "Meh I guess its alright so far," to "OMG WHY VICTORIA! WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME!" And then you swallow up the last part of the book within one sitting because you can't put it down.

I'm not going to talk about what happened in the book because I really don't want to spoil it for you guys, but I will tell you that while the ending of this book wasn't as "Shocking" as the ending of Red Queen, it still leaves you on your toes begging for more. You will be surprised, you will (most likely) cry at one part or another, and then you will hate yourself for reading this book too fast. Just like I did (hopefully I'm not the only one...)

If you loved the first book, I really encourage you to read this one as well. Don't get discouraged by the slow beginning, it really picks up and has an amazing story line. You won't regret it.

Happy Reading,
Aneta 

Review: Cress by Marissa Meyer

Series: The Lunar Chronicles #3
Publication Date: February 4th 2014
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ B&N

Synopsis: In this third book in Marissa Meyer's bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they're plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and prevent her army from invading Earth.

Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl trapped on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she's being forced to work for Queen Levana, and she's just received orders to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is splintered. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a higher price than she'd ever expected. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai, especially the cyborg mechanic. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

My Rating

5/5 stars

My Review

"Do you think it was destiny that brought us together?"
He squinted and, after a thoughtful moment, shook his head. "No. I'm pretty sure it was Cinder.” 

Just when I thought this series couldn't get any better. It does. Miss Meyer, you have really outdone yourself this time.

In the third book of the Lunar Chronicles, Cress, the girl who warned Cinder about Levana's plan to kill prince Kai, is in trouble. Cress is a shell, forced to live out her life in satellite, trying to track down Cinder for Queen Levana. Cinder plans a great rescue to get Cress out of the satellite and to join their force, but things never go as planned, and Sybil just happens to stop by right before the planned rescue.

If you've read my previous reviews about this series, you'll know that I love Cinder and Scarlet! They are both wonderful characters, but Cress's child like mind and her sweetness really put me over the edge! The characters that Marissa creates are all so unique, yet they all have something about them where you just can't help but love them all. I think Scarlet, Cinder and I would be best friends if they were real, and Cress would be like a little sister of mine.

Marissa did an amazing job with the storyline for this book, not only did she manage to have tons of action and adventure in this book, but she was also able to set up the plot for the next book. Even though I loved the storyline of this book, I am way more excited for whats to come in Winter.

I would love to make this review much longer, but I'm worried the slightest thing will spoil the whole thing for you, so I'm going to keep it short.

If you loved the previous books in the series, you will love this one just as much or even more than the first two. If you have not started this series, first of all why are you reading this review? And second of all go start reading Cinder right now!

Happy Reading,
Aneta

Review: Invaded by Melissa Landers

Series: Alienated #2
Publication Date: February 3rd, 2015
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Genre: YA, Romance, Aliens
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ B&N

Synopsis: The romantic sequel to Alienated takes long-distance relationships to a new level as Cara and Aelyx long for each other from opposite ends of the universe...until a threat to both their worlds reunites them. 

Cara always knew life on planet L’eihr would be an adjustment. With Aelyx, her L’eihr boyfriend, back on Earth, working to mend the broken alliance between their two planets, Cara is left to fend for herself at a new school, surrounded by hostile alien clones. Even the weird dorm pet hates her.

Things look up when Cara is appointed as human representative to a panel preparing for a human colony on L’eihr. A society melding their two cultures is a place where Cara and Aelyx could one day make a life together. But with L’eihr leaders balking at granting even the most basic freedoms, Cara begins to wonder if she could ever be happy on this planet, even with Aelyx by her side.

Meanwhile, on Earth, Aelyx, finds himself thrown into a full-scale PR campaign to improve human-L’eihr relations. Humans don’t know that their very survival depends on this alliance: only Aelyx’s people have the technology to fix the deadly contamination in the global water supply that human governments are hiding. Yet despite their upper hand, the leaders of his world suddenly seem desperate to get humans on their side, and hardly bat an eye at extremists’ multiple attempts on Aelyx’s life.

The Way clearly needs humans’ help . . . but with what? And what will they ask for in return?

My Rating

4/5 stars

My Review

“When you preach hatred, how do you expect your followers to respond?” 

Cara is trying to mend the alliance between Earth and L'ehir, while she's on planet L'ehir and her boyfriend Aelyx is doing the same on Earth. Adjusting to life on L'ehir is already difficult enough with their bland food, crazy exercise routine, and advanced science classes. Whats worse is that someone is trying to frame Cara, and kill Aelyx to ensure that the alliance doesn't go through. 

If planet L'ehir was real, I would be first to volunteer to go and live there (maybe not on the colony tho). Reading from Cara's point of view, I fell in love with the lifestyle of the L'ehir people. They are so focused on science, and trying to better oneself and their community, rather than gossiping or watching tv, its definitely a type of lifestyle I wish I could be a part of. 

Just like the first book in the series, this one was very well written. The characters are amazing, the world-building is outstanding, and theres a thought out plot with a little bit of mystery.

I fell in love with Cara's character in the first book, but she really took me by surprise in this one. I knew she was brave and smart but this kinda took her to a new level. I get scared to leave the country alone without my parents, and this girl went to a different galaxy, without getting overly scared. Once again we get to see how smart Cara is, while she's not a genius at school anymore, she's shows her smarts in other ways, more human ways that the L'ehir couldn't always understand. 

On the other hand, I found the storyline with Aelyx to be quite boring. I had a feeling on who was secretly planning the attacks on Aelyx, and I happened to guess right, which was a huge bummer because I love to be surprised. Most of his storyline in this book was just at the hotel, or parts talking about politics.

I definitely recommend this series, its tied for first place with the Lux series by Jennifer Armentrout on my Favourite Alien story list. Definitely give book one a try first.

I can't wait to read the final book in the series, although I really don't want it to end.

Happy Reading,

-Aneta 

Review: The Speaker by Andi O'Connor

Series: The Vaelinel Trilogy #2
Publication Date: September 30th 2016
Publisher: Purple Sun Press
Genre: YA, Fantasy 
~ Goodreads ~

Synopsis: The Vaelinel Trilogy continues with this absorbing sequel to Silevethiel!

Alone and hunted by the Drulaack, Irewen takes advantage of her only option for survival: walking among the dead.

But her refuge doesn't last long. Driven out of their hosts by Laegon, a handful Drulaack have returned to the Spirit World. No longer having the protection of the dead, Irewen is forced to return to Vaelinel.

​Finally reunited with her companions, the burdens placed on them are taking their toll. Thoughts of suicide and mistrust plague the company. Slowly unravelling, they must conquer their personal battles before standing against the evil threatening the land.

​For the Corrupter thirsts for revenge. And he'll stop at nothing to satisfy his hunger.

My Rating

5/5 stars

My Review

“We’ve made it this far. Together, we’ll find a way.” 

The Speaker is the perfect sequel to Silevethiel. There is action from beginning to end that keeps you on your toes, and the characters just become more lovable than ever.

The Speaker starts up right where Silevethiel left off. Irewen is on her way to Lundvelle in hopes of reading the prophecy in the archives. The Drulaack are almost to Irewen, her only hope is to follow her parents into the spirit world to walk among the dead. Severing her link with Silevethiel, the dame and Laegon lead a party to try to find the princess, in hopes that she is still alive.

From the beginning of the fist book I fell in love with both Irewen and Laegon. They’re both amazing characters and I loved the love and passion they share not only for each other but for their people and guardians as well. There was a lot of character development for both of them in this book, Irewen is trying to fight the pressure she's feeling of being a leader and having to fight, which is not what she was raised to do by her father while Laegon has to face his inner demons and doubts of not being good enough.

The world building was a thousand times better than the first book. Now on the road with Irewen and the group, we not only get to see the side of the wood elves and humans, but we also get to see light elves and even a sea elf. We see new cities, new groups of people and an inside look at whats happening back in Irewens city.

I was amazed that this book did not suffer from the second book syndrome. I was so worried that there was going to be less action and the characters will have changed, but I was completely wrong. Not only was there just as much action, but the characters were just the same, and sometimes even better.

I am absolutely in love with this series. I still highly recommend this series to all fantasy lovers, especially fans of Lord of the Rings. Definitely give the first book a try, I’m sure you will love it.

I’m desperately waiting for the third book in this series. Hopefully the wait doesn't kill me.

Happy Reading,
- Aneta