Unhinged by A.G. Howard

Series: Splintered #2
Publication Date: January 7th, 2014
Publisher: Amulet Books
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance
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Synopsis: Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she's always dreamed of.

That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland—where she (partly) belongs.

As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.

If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she'll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head.

My Rating: 4/5 stars

My Review: “Nothing can break the chains you have on my heart. For you are Wonderland.” 

Unhinged is definitely one of the most beautiful books ever written. I can't help but fall in love with A.G. Howard's writing even more.

It's been a year since Alyssa has come back from Wonderland. Her boyfriend Jeb doesn't remember anything, and all Alyssa wants to do is get things back to normal, no matter how much her wings are dying to escape. When Morpheus shows up with news that Red is back, and Wonderland is in danger, Alyssa's world is turned upside down as she gets in the middle of saving Jeb and saving Wonderland.

I love this book for so many reasons! I really wish I could give it five stars but theres just one thing that made me mad throughout this book. I was dying for Alyssa to go back to Wonderland, just waiting for the moment she went back in, and that didn't happen.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved the story line, and I loved how much more the characters got to interact and how we got to see so many old characters return, but it just wasn't the same.

Alyssa is still the same kick-butt character, whose madly in love with Jeb but also has small feelings toward Morpheus. Morpheus is of course the same old magnificent winged boy that everyone on Team Morpheus has come to love. And Jeb went back to being the little human boy that no one really cares about.

The thing I loved so much about this book is that we get to finally meet Alyssa's mom, when she's normal and not locked up. What's even better is we also get to explore her parent's past and see how exactly they met each other, which I thought was absolutely sweet.

Obviously I was a little disappointed with the world-building, since we didn't get a chance to go into Wonderland, but as for describing the normal world, the authors writing was glorious as always.

Overall, this book is amazing and if you loved the first book you will definitely love the second one. I cannot wait to read Ensnared.

Happy Reading,
Aneta

Waiting on Wednesday: This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Series: Monsters of Verity #1

Publication Date: June 7th, 2016

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Genre: YA, Fantasy 

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Synopsis: The city of Verity has been overrun with monsters, born from the worst of human evil. In North Verity, the Corsai and the Malchai run free. Under the rule of Callum Harker, the monsters kill any human who has not paid for protection. In the South, Henry Flynn hunts the monsters who cross the border into his territory, aided by the most dangerous and darkest monsters of them all—the Sunai, dark creatures who use music to steal their victim’s souls.

As one of only three Sunai in existence, August Flynn has always wanted to play a bigger role in the war between the north and the south. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate Harker, daughter of the leader of North Verity, August jumps on it.
When Kate discovers August’s secret, the pair find themselves running for their lives and battling monsters from both sides of the wall. As the city dissolves into chaos, it’s up to them to foster a peace between monsters and humans.

A unique, fast-paced adventure that looks at the monsters we face every day—including the monster within. 

Cursed by Christina Bauer

Series: Beholder #1
Publications Date: March 29, 2016
Publisher: InkMonster
Genre: YA, Fantasy 
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Synopsis: (synopsis is not accurate) Although Elea’s the most powerful necromancer in history, she’s spent most of her nineteen years imprisoned in the Midnight Cloisters. Enchanted manacles keep her unique brand of soul magick in check. While the guards and initiates seem contented to torment her, the Cloister’s Mother Superior is obsessed with finding a safe way to destroy Elea, both body and soul.

Escape seems impossible until a handsome hunter named Asher offers to help. Elea takes a chance and soon develops feelings for the mysterious stranger. However, Asher may not be who he claims. Then again, Elea may not be, either… 

My Rating: 4/5 stars

My Review: Another breathtaking book written by Christina Bauer! Cursed takes on a new spin about the world of Necromancers and Casters and it is absolutely fantastic. 

All Elea wants to do is work on the farm that finally became hers! She has no problems with using her untrained powers to chase away potential suitors that just want to take ownership of her farm. When Elea gets a message that her only friend Tristan is in trouble, she races to his bedside. Tristan was cursed by the new Tsar, and curse also affects the person you love the most, and in Tristan's case, that was Elea. Elea now has only 5 years to live before the curse takes her, and the only way to end this curse is to train her powers and kill the Tsar.

I absolutely loved the characters that Christina created! Elea is such a strong and determined character, you can't help but fall in love with her and admire her passion. You get to see the lonely but confident side to her when she's alone on the farm, and then the powerful but wise side to her after she becomes trained and goes on the quest! My favourite aspect was that she's so trustworthy that she couldn't see someone very close to her lying and tricking her, which is something i could definitely relate to and understand. 

I loved the relationship between her and Roland. He brings out a better side in her and its absolutely adorable to see how much he cares! The relationship went by really slow, but I found that absolutely perfect. It's definitely nice to see a relationship take its time and not be one of the "love at first sight" novels (that never come true). 

The world building was alright, nothing too exciting but the landscape where the story takes place was described fairly well.

Normally I would rate a book this good five stars, but there was something about it where I just can't give it full stars. It was really fantastic, but I'm not sure if it was the little world building or the fact that it was a little slow in the beginning of the book. 

Either way, this was a fantastic book and I would highly recommend it to all fantasy lovers. If you have read other books by Christina Bauer, you will definitely love this one as well, and if you haven't then I recommend checkin out her other series called Angelbound. 

Happy Reading,
- Aneta

Waiting on Wednesday: The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Series: The Remnant Chronicles #3
Publication Date: August 2nd, 2016
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance
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Synopsis: Lia and Rafe have escaped Venda and the path before them is winding and dangerous - what will happen now? This third and final book in The Remnant Chronicles is not to be missed.

Bestselling author Mary E. Pearson's combination of intrigue, suspense, romance and action make this a riveting page turner for teens.

End of Days by Susan Ee

Series: Penryn and the End of Days #3
Publication Date: May 12th 2015
Publisher: Skyscape
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal
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Synopsis: End of Days is the explosive conclusion to Susan Ee’s bestselling Penryn & the End of Days trilogy.

After a daring escape from the angels, Penryn and Raffe are on the run. They’re both desperate to find a doctor who can reverse the twisted changes inflicted by the angels on Raffe and Penryn’s sister. As they set off in search of answers, a startling revelation about Raffe’s past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all.

When the angels release an apocalyptic nightmare onto humans, both sides are set on a path toward war. As unlikely alliances form and strategies shift, who will emerge victorious? Forced to pick sides in the fight for control of the earthly realm, Raffe and Penryn must choose: Their own kind, or each other?

My Rating: 4/5 stars

My Review: “Power is best held by the ones who don’t want it.” 

I am so sad that this series is now over, but I must say that End of Days was a perfect finale to an amazing series.

The story picks up right where World After left off. Penryn is reunited with Raffe and her sister Paige who is followed by her scorpions. Their goal is to find Penryn's mother, and a doctor to sew on Raffe's old wings. And of course, many obstacles fall in their path, as they try to save Earth from Uriel.

This story was the perfect mix of Angelfall and World After. It had the Penryn & Raffe connection that everyone missed, as well as the awesome action and crazy characters from the second book.

Not only do we get to see past characters like Dee and Dum, Penryn's mom and others, but we also get a few new characters that will have you wishing they were introduced in earlier books.

I don't want to write too much in my review to avoid spoilers. But honestly if you loved the first two books in the series, you will absolutely love the finale.

The grand finale of the book isn't as "grand" as I was hoping it would be, but I still love the way the author wrote it and I still found it a good overall ending, even though we were left with many unanswered questions.

In conclusion, this is a fantastic series, and a great ending to the series. If you haven't read this series yet, I'm going to find you and force you to read it, because you will love it.

Happy Reading,
- Aneta